Review: Lo, Aaron, Jon & Dan @ Joe’s
Lo Faber and Aaron Maxwell w/ Jon Bevo, Dan Pifer and special guest Jason Crosby @ Joe’s Pub, February 25
Joe’s Pub isn’t exactly like the ramshackle bars and clubs where God Street Wine cut its teeth two decades ago in New York City. Guitarist Lo Faber, who was performing with three of his four GSW band mates at the high-end venue, alluded to the difference after the Borderline opener by mentioning how weird it was to have food served to the tables in front him as he was performing the tune. “They didn’t have food service at the 712 Club,” Faber said before the quartet launched into Thirsty.
[All photos by Vernon Webb]
Over the course of the hour-plus set, Faber, Aaron Maxwell, Jon Bevo and Dan Pifer offered a mix of God Street classics and rarities in front of a crowd filled with family and friends. For most of the show, Maxwell and Faber performed on acoustic guitars as they have for the handful of shows the duo played over the past few months. What made this show different was the addition of Pifer and Bevo.
While the presence, skill and chemistry that GSW drummer Tom Osander brings to the group can never be replaced, those in attendance weren’t focusing on what was missing. Instead, the Winos lapped up the rare opportunity to see the songs they love in such a plush setting.
READ ON for more on last night’s show…
Though there were plenty of “hits” on display at Joe’s Pub including Thirsty, Nightingale, Molly and Epiphany; the ensemble dug deep for a number of tunes in the 12-song performance. Of particular note was Edgar’s Back In Town, an original God Street shelved in the early ’90s. A funny moment in the show took place when Maxwell introduced Edgar’s only to have Faber realize the pair had different setlists. The two conferred and decided to perform Funny Kinda Love before launching into the first Edgar’s in nearly two decades.
Former GSW band member Jason Crosby also joined in the fun adding fiddle to the Bevo original off the never-released Hot, Sweet and Juicy, Beautiful Lies and Stranger towards the beginning of the set before coming back out for the closing foursome of Epiphany, Angeline, Nightingale and Straight Line. Crosby’s harmonies with Faber on the proggy, instrumental interludes within Epiphany were particularly on point.
The acoustic format, sans drums, let Pifer’s bass work shine. Sometimes Dan’s inventive lines got lost in the mix back in the day, but not last night. For instance, the jazzy, walking bass parts in the Steely Dan-esque Edgar’s stood out.
A few weeks back, God Street Wine officially went back on indefinite hiatus. Winos hoped that the announcement would actually lead to more Lo and Aaron gigs without questions of the band’s future hanging over them (or misinformed journalists labeling the duo’s gigs as GSW shows). Let’s hope last night’s show is a sign of things to come. While Osander may have family and professional commitments at home in Europe, there’s no reason the other four members of GSW can’t perform together from time to time in wonderful venues like Joe’s Pub. It’s clearly fun for them, it’s clearly fun for the fans – why not?
Scott Bernstein
Scott Bernstein co-founded Hidden Track in October 2006 and was managing editor until taking over as EiC in January 2008. Scotty also writes for Relix Magazine and curates YEMblog.com.
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Great review of a great night! Hopefully next time they’ll do a proper club show with this line up.