Lady Sings The Blues
(A performance review by Mark Stitt, 4/23/05)
You know how I like to write up a little review of all the bands I
see, kind of a hobby of mine. Well, I went and saw 'Trampled Under
Foot' again Friday night, and I am not sure that I have the
vocabulary to describe what a great, great performance they put on. I
am no stranger to seeing them play, having seen them numerous times
now, yet they are still able to take the stage and absolutely blow me
away, along with the rest of the crowd. I can always tell the
newcomers by the raised eyebrows, delighted expressions and seeing
them turn to each other and mouth the word 'wow'! At the end of the
night, their faces are covered in grins like they are carrying a glad
secret.
So it was last night. Nick, the guitarist, had injured the index
finger on his right hand. Since he plays left handed, it did not
affect his ability to pick or strum, and he was only slightly
hampered with the fret work. Still, you would have to think that a 3
fingered guitarist would have SOME sort of deficiency, but that was
not the case at all. He continues to impress me with his ability and
the ease with which he plays. They had invited the guitarist from 'The
Nortons', John Brandsgard, to play with them, and let me tell you,
not only did it really flesh out the sound of the band, he was a
phenomenal player in his own right. Several times during the night,
he and Nick would trade off leads on songs with great success. It
reminded me of seeing Eric Clapton play, his playing was so
effortless. He never sang a note, but his grin spoke volumes about
what a good time he was having.
Kris once again provided a solid foundation with the drums, solid
kick bass notes and really good rolls, fills and flourishes. But as
always, it was Danielle Nicole's voice that stood out, it is an
instrument unlike any other. Did I mention that girl can sing? Just
unbelievable, what a rare treat, she truly has to be heard live to be
appreciated. And did I mention that she is all of 22? Are you kidding
me? She did lots of favorites, but in the second set did an old Etta
James song, I think the name is 'Blind Woman' but I am not sure. Let
me tell ya, she tore that song into little bitty pieces, head thrown
back, hair in her face, voice literally blasting the roof off the
joint. I mean, she always sounds great, but every once in a while she
reaches way down deep inside and unleashes this voice that can't be
described, it must be heard. Throbbing with emotion, it just roars
with anguish, pain and misery way beyond her years, both soulful and
bone chilling. Let me tell ya, she just absolutely nailed it. I
looked down and all the hair on my arms were standing straight up!
Man, what I would not give to have a copy of THAT performance.
I also noticed that all the people shooting pool and throwing darts
had stopped what they were doing and were looking on with similar awe-
struck expressions on their faces. Just a great, great performance by
a world class blues singer. She followed that up with a couple of
Janis Joplin songs, 'Summertime', 'Me and Bobby McGee' and 'Mercedes
Bends'. Throw in some Ray Charles, some B.B. King, a little Susan
Tedeschi along with some of their own originals and it just made for
a great night of live music.
A friend of mine, Tom, had seen my prior review and had passed it
along to some of his friends. Turns out that 8-10 of them showed up,
and I went and chatted with them between sets. They were all shaking
my hand and thanking ME, telling me what a good time they were
having and really enjoying the band. I told them all I try to do is
get people through the door, after that it was up to the band and
what an easy sell that is. I had no doubt they would not only enjoy
it, but come away impressed and ready to spread the word.
So, once again, I am putting out the word. Mark your calendars, hire
a baby sitter, get your grass cut etc., do what you have to but COME
SEE THIS BAND PLAY LIVE! Then, and only then will you understand what
it is I am trying so inadequately to describe. This is not a case
of "yeah, I went to a bar and saw some band last night", it is an
opportunity to be treated to a live performance unlike any other and
one I guarantee that you will truly enjoy. I have been to hundreds of
shows, from the smallest venues to stadium concerts, and yet have
rarely felt the kind of thrill I get from seeing TUF. Trust me, do
yourself a favor and check them out.
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