LIVE: Ryan Montbleau Band @ The Hamilton - 11/23/12

All photos by Julia Lofstrand (julialofstrand@gmail.com / www.julialofstrandphotography.com)

Members of the Ryan Montbleau Band woke up at about the same time as many Black Friday bargain hunters last week, but instead of travelling to Target or Wal-Mart they jumped in their van for the long drive from Massachusetts to DC to get ready for a fantastic show at the Hamilton. If the infectious six-piece group was fatigued either from the drive or an overdose of turkey the previous day it didn’t show as they put together a wonderful array of tunes ranging from soft acoustic folk songs to jumpy blues numbers to full-blown gospel revival.

The road trip must have been on their mind for the first two numbers - the band burst out of the gate with “Slippery Road” from 2010’s Heavy on the Vine, before taking on Bill Withers’ “Heartbreak Road.” While it’s hard to top Withers’ original the band did a funky good job, alternately sounding like Jamiroquai and Allen Stone as keyboardist Jason Cohen did some fine work on his jazz organ. The funk continued as they hit a Meters groove with “Inspired By No One” before seguing into what Montbleau called “authentic Massachusetts reggae” on “Songbird.” The tune got people up and dancing – albeit tentatively – on the sides of the stage; while folks wanted to move their feet, they didn’t want to be the first one to do so in front of the stage. They came close as the entire crowd got fired up during “Yeah Man” from the Montbleau Band’s most recent album, For Higher. Recorded in New Orleans with an impressive array of well-known bayou musicians, For Higher is a wonderful gumbo of different styles, perhaps all embodied by the uplifting, hugely danceable “Yeah Man.”

Click to read more ...

TO DO LIST: STTPfest 2012 - Friday 10/5 - Sunday 10/7

Hey guys...just wanted to let you in on something (like you didn't know.) There's this thing going on this weekend...it's freakin' HUGE. No I'm not talking about VirginFree Fest - though that is pretty killer. I'm talking about a city wide, veritable EXPLOSION of music that is this years Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie - STPP for short - music festival.

Now in its third iteration, the brainchild of zomghowdoesheevengetanysleep musician/promoter Dave Mann is taking over more venues, with even more bands decending on our fair city, all with one thing in mind: To rock your f@#@in' face off. How can you get in on the action you ask? Simple. SHOW UP. 

All day long at venues across the city, bands will be doing their thing and the only thing they ask in return is that you come rock with them. Sure a few of the venues will be charging a cover, and it's HIGHLY recommended that if you see a band you like you find a way to give them your hard earned cash, but in the end, they love music, you love music and everyone wins this weekend.

Check out the press release below for more details. We'll be out all weekend long live tweeting and uploading photos to our stream, so stay tuned for links to that and head off into this incredible weekend of music knowing this: For those about to rock, WE SALUTE YOU!

See you in the trenches kids!

Here's your press release.

Click to read more ...