By Dean Birkheimer, Go Venue Magazine
“Variety is the soul of pleasure – Aphra Behn.”
On August 31 at Stir Cove we were treated to a show that featured three bands/artists whose sound covered a broad spectrum of style. To kick things off, The New Respects took the stage. This quartet is a throwback to the rock and soul sound that at the same time blends in a modern indie touch. The band is made up of twins Alexandria (guitar) and Alexis (bass) and their brother Darius Fitzgerald (drums), with cousin Jasmine Mullen on vocals. In mid August of this year, they released their debut album “Before The Sun Goes Down.” Back in March, The New Respects were featured in Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 10 new artists you need to know. It’s no wonder as their music is upbeat, catchy and contagious. You can’t help but to dance to the sounds they generate. They kicked off their show with “We Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and ended it with “Freedom”. In the middle the covered the Beatles “Come Together” in a way that completely made it their own. A really wonderful six song set and a perfect way to open a show. If you didn’t make it to Stir to see them, no sweat. They are returning to Omaha, more specifically, at the Slowdown, on October 27. I for one will be there and I strongly urge everyone else to be there as well.
The New Respects Set List:
WE AIN’T GOIN’ NOWHERE – WHAT IS ON YOUR MIND – BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN – COME TOGETHER – SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN – FREEDOM
So we had our taste of soul, now it was Matt Nathanson’s turn and he gave us a sweet blend of folk and rock. Matt’s first album was released in 1993 when he was still in high school. Back in June of this year, Matt released an album of entirely Def Leppard covers titled “Pyromattia” and in October of this year he will release “Sings His Sad Heart.” If you want some samples, check out “Used to Be”, “Mine” and “Long Distance Runner”, which can be found on Youtube. What I began to realize as Matts set progressed was there were as many people there to see him as there were to see O.A.R. Matt has a very large and loyal fan base and he knows how to take command of a stage. He is extremely aware of his audience and will chat with anyone at any time. There was a moment where he just started chatting with a fella who happened to be wearing sun glasses in the dark. I have to say, my favorite moment came when Matt started preparing us for a sing-a-long, except we wouldn’t be singing any words, just bellowing out a bunch of high pitched E’s. Once I heard what he wanted, I knew immediately the song he was about to do. One of my all-time favorites. He was going to sing “Laid” a cover by James. I found myself screaming (not singing) to the song. “THIS BED IS ON FIRE WITH PASSIONATE LOVE. THE NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE NOISES ABOVE” If you’re not familiar with this song, then check out this video of James doing it live. I must say, Matt NAILED IT!! A tremendous cover. As mentioned earlier, he has released an album of nothing but covers of Def Leppard and we were treated to his version of “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” Again, just a really great job. But covers are not all he does, His originals songs are amazing, from “Headphones” to his final song “Little Victories”, it’s obvious why this guy has been around since 1993 and why he is able to release two albums in one year. I know there is plenty more to come, and for that I’m grateful
Matt Nathanson Set List:
GIANTS – MINE – RUN – LAID – WAY WAY BACK – STILL – SADNESS – HERE I GO AGAIN (Whitesnake cover) – POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME (Def Leppard cover) – I SAW – SUSPENDED – USED TO BE – HEADPHONES – FASTER – COME ON GET HIGHER – UNDER PRESSURE (Queen cover) – LITTLE VICTORIES –
Soul first, then some folk-rock, now it was time for jazz influenced jam band sounds. O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) was formed in 1996 and to this day is going strong. When they took the stage, the Stir erupted into a deafening roar. As loud as I’ve ever heard them. Kicking things off with Black Rock immediately got the entire joints attention. Their set covered the entire spectrum of who this band is. From Love and Memories to I Go Through. Sax player Jerry Depizzo and trumpeter Jon Lampley were absolutely astounding. The crowd was entirely committed to this band. Tons of dancing and tons of screaming and cheering. Lead vocalist Marc Roberge was in superb form as he displayed his wide range of vocal ability through-out he night. The rest of the band, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On and bassist Benj Gershman all had their moments to shine. These guys are veterans and they play tight and they play well. They are finely tuned and sound perfect. When they left the stage, nobody moved, but everyone clapped and yelled for more. The band returned and gave us Peace, Getaway and the SKA influenced That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker. Talk about crazy I never seen Stir go so insane, so much jumping. What a great way to end a show. One more thing and most importantly, a sales-pitch. In 2006, O.A.R. created the Heard The World Fund, built to support youth and education in the United States. Check out their web page for more info.
O.A.R. Set List:
BLACK ROCK – SOMETHING COMING OVER – THE WANDERER – LOVE & MEMORIES – JUST LIKE PARADISE – HEARD THE WORLD – HEY GIRL – SHATTERED – I FEEL HOME – ABOUT MR. BROWN – CITY ON DOWN – ON MY WAY – I GO THROUGH – THIS TOWN – DELICATE FEW – MISS YOU ALL THE TIME – HEAVEN
|| ENCORE ||
PEACE – GETAWAY – THAT WAS A CRAZY GAME OF POKER
O.A.R.
Matt Nathanson
The New Respects
