. is somewhat of an anomaly in the pop scene. First, they are country; not indie-infused americana or folk, but good ol country rock ‘n’ roll, which is uncommon for a band that calls L.A. home and has a decidedly urban, alternative fan base.
Secondly, they are a group of all-star musicians; four of the six members share songwriting duties. It was as if those four were brothers (which they are not), because as the set unfolded on Friday night at the , each song melded into the next as if these boys played their entire lives together. That kind of striking musicianship focused toward feet-stomping, hoot and holler country music was unique as it was fun.
Taken under the wing of Chris Robinson of Black Crowes, who produced their first and only album, Truth and Savage Co. is about as tight as any professional band out there. Not only did Robinson make them the first band on his label (Silver Arrow), but he tapped them as openers for the Crowes’ 2009 tour.
The four-part vocal harmonies on nearly every song sounded flawless. “Hail Hail,” the opening song, set the theme for the rest of the songs, which would be loose and slightly faster than the album cuts. It would be hard to call just one or two songs “hits,” because each song was so well wrought, but “Heart Like a Wheel” and “Welcome to L.A.” energized the crowd while “Pure Mountain Angel,” which provided a perfect cadence to the rhythym of the night, was my personal favorite.
This is a band with incredible discipline. Imagine four lead singers in one band where each song is distinctly the drummer’s or the organistap or one of the guitaristap. It could go as badly as the Miami Heat or as succinctly as the Boston Celtics.
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Loren Speer is an international activist and longtime Reverb contributor. He sleeps with one eye open and can crush glass with his bare hands. In addition to , Loren writes for and the Huffington Post under the pseudonym The Bartender.
