Gomez showed off their diverse skills in a rollicking sold-out show at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, CA on Monday night. Peppering the set with songs from every studio album in their catalog, they satisfied both new and old fans alike with a well-executed set that had the packed crowd hopping for most of the evening.
The doors opened at the Mystic, an historic theater near downtown Petaluma, at 7:00 pm. Seating was limited, along the sides of the floor section and on the balcony. The rest of the floor area was standing only. Being that the show was sold out, the floor was packed.
Opening the show was Joe Purdy, a singer-songwriter in the folk, Americana tradition based out of California. Tonight he channeled 1966 Bob Dylan and The Band, beginning with a solo acoustic song before bringing out his band for an electric set. They even looked like The Band, wearing jackets and hats that gave them a Depression-era look. At times his songs sounded as if he took a Dylan tune and just changed the lyrics. The familiar Dylan formula of “folkifying” the blues was evident on many of Purdy’s songs in addition to making use of country elements, such as adding slide guitar and banjo, and visual, storytelling lyrics. The band was spirited, if a bit loose. The addition of electronic keyboards added a wash of sound that at times detracted from the music. The songs in which the keyboards were not used worked better, simply because they were not so “noisy”, and the lyrics were not obscured. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable set and I would recommend checking him out.
In contrast with Joe Purdy's nappily-attired band, Gomez came out wearing jeans and t-shirts. The long-sleeve, solid colored t-shirts worn by some of the band members gave them a bit of a "Wiggles" look. It didn't affect their playing though, as they immediately made an impression with a tight rendition of “Here Comes the Breeze” from their first album. In my first time seeing Gomez live I came away with the realization that this is a band with three personalities. There is the happy-go-lucky band member, Tom Gray, who from the moment he stepped on stage was interacting with the crowd, gesturing and smiling broadly during the songs, often encouraging the crowd to clap or sing along. There was the elfin band member, Ian Ball, who drank (I believe) red wine during the set and has a voice that sounds like the 2nd coming of Davey Jones. Then there is the quiet one, Ben Ottewell, who rarely spoke or engaged the audience during the show. But when he did open his mouth, the power of his bluesy vocals was awe-inspiring. The three vocalists pretty much took turns singing during the set. Each has his own style and is an exceptional singer, but the most transcendent moments came when they were harmonizing together as their voices blended and soared.
The setlist drew from all of their albums, with Liquid Skin and How We Operate best represented with 7 and 6 songs played from each album respectively. The crowd was enthusiastic and was on their feet and dancing for the entire show. They really went crazy for some of the more obscure songs, including a humorous episode in which Ian Ball needed help from the audience to remember the verses to “Ruff Stuff”, and a version of “Rosalita” during the encore in which Ben Ottewell had to use a lyric sheet. The band’s sound was tight and they stayed in the groove, with help from the rhythm section, which includes a percussionist on congas and shakers. It is easy to understand how they can be called a “jamband” since they definitely get into a solid groove that can make for long, extended solos. They don’t crossover into that territory though, keeping solos to a minimum. In fact, they do not have a really strong soloist, with Ottewell doing passable but unremarkable solos.
The highlight of the evening was the encore, which included the aforementioned rendition of “Rosarita”, very nice vocal interplay on “Fill My Cup”, and ended on a high with “Devil Will Ride”. All three songs are from their second album, 1999's Liquid Skin.
All in all, a great show and a fun evening.
Setlist (thanks to secretasianman on the Gomez Forum website):
Here Comes The Breeze
These 3 Sins
Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone
See the World
Nothing is Wrong
Bring Your Lovin' Back Here
Notice
We Haven't Turned Around
Girlshapedlovedrug
Ruff Stuff
How We Operate
Charley Patton Songs
Blue Moon Rising
Hangover
Hamoa Beach
Silence
Rhythm & Blues Alibi
Encore:
Rosalita
Fill My Cup
Devil Will Ride
The doors opened at the Mystic, an historic theater near downtown Petaluma, at 7:00 pm. Seating was limited, along the sides of the floor section and on the balcony. The rest of the floor area was standing only. Being that the show was sold out, the floor was packed.
Opening the show was Joe Purdy, a singer-songwriter in the folk, Americana tradition based out of California. Tonight he channeled 1966 Bob Dylan and The Band, beginning with a solo acoustic song before bringing out his band for an electric set. They even looked like The Band, wearing jackets and hats that gave them a Depression-era look. At times his songs sounded as if he took a Dylan tune and just changed the lyrics. The familiar Dylan formula of “folkifying” the blues was evident on many of Purdy’s songs in addition to making use of country elements, such as adding slide guitar and banjo, and visual, storytelling lyrics. The band was spirited, if a bit loose. The addition of electronic keyboards added a wash of sound that at times detracted from the music. The songs in which the keyboards were not used worked better, simply because they were not so “noisy”, and the lyrics were not obscured. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable set and I would recommend checking him out.
In contrast with Joe Purdy's nappily-attired band, Gomez came out wearing jeans and t-shirts. The long-sleeve, solid colored t-shirts worn by some of the band members gave them a bit of a "Wiggles" look. It didn't affect their playing though, as they immediately made an impression with a tight rendition of “Here Comes the Breeze” from their first album. In my first time seeing Gomez live I came away with the realization that this is a band with three personalities. There is the happy-go-lucky band member, Tom Gray, who from the moment he stepped on stage was interacting with the crowd, gesturing and smiling broadly during the songs, often encouraging the crowd to clap or sing along. There was the elfin band member, Ian Ball, who drank (I believe) red wine during the set and has a voice that sounds like the 2nd coming of Davey Jones. Then there is the quiet one, Ben Ottewell, who rarely spoke or engaged the audience during the show. But when he did open his mouth, the power of his bluesy vocals was awe-inspiring. The three vocalists pretty much took turns singing during the set. Each has his own style and is an exceptional singer, but the most transcendent moments came when they were harmonizing together as their voices blended and soared.
The setlist drew from all of their albums, with Liquid Skin and How We Operate best represented with 7 and 6 songs played from each album respectively. The crowd was enthusiastic and was on their feet and dancing for the entire show. They really went crazy for some of the more obscure songs, including a humorous episode in which Ian Ball needed help from the audience to remember the verses to “Ruff Stuff”, and a version of “Rosalita” during the encore in which Ben Ottewell had to use a lyric sheet. The band’s sound was tight and they stayed in the groove, with help from the rhythm section, which includes a percussionist on congas and shakers. It is easy to understand how they can be called a “jamband” since they definitely get into a solid groove that can make for long, extended solos. They don’t crossover into that territory though, keeping solos to a minimum. In fact, they do not have a really strong soloist, with Ottewell doing passable but unremarkable solos.
The highlight of the evening was the encore, which included the aforementioned rendition of “Rosarita”, very nice vocal interplay on “Fill My Cup”, and ended on a high with “Devil Will Ride”. All three songs are from their second album, 1999's Liquid Skin.
All in all, a great show and a fun evening.
Setlist (thanks to secretasianman on the Gomez Forum website):
Here Comes The Breeze
These 3 Sins
Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone
See the World
Nothing is Wrong
Bring Your Lovin' Back Here
Notice
We Haven't Turned Around
Girlshapedlovedrug
Ruff Stuff
How We Operate
Charley Patton Songs
Blue Moon Rising
Hangover
Hamoa Beach
Silence
Rhythm & Blues Alibi
Encore:
Rosalita
Fill My Cup
Devil Will Ride
1 comment:
Nice review, Patrick. I agree that the best was the finale when the band demonstrated amazing synergy and energy. The interplay of voices and special voice effects was great during and showed their musical creativity. My only beef is my first time impression of the new stuff. It seemed to lack the complexity and quirkiness of their older material.
Post a Comment