SON OF THE SUN
JUNE 25, 2011
NIETZCHES ON ALLEN STREET WAS THE PLACE TO BE SATURDAY NIGHT IN BUFFALO. SON OF THE SUN HAD A GREAT TURNOUT AND THE TWO BANDS THAT OPENED UP FOR THEM REALLY SET THE STAGE. HERE COME THE COMETS HAVE A VERY NEW YORK LOOK OF AN ON-BROADWAY THEATRE STYLE THAT CAN BE LESS ABOUT THE MUSIC. FROM THE MOMENT THEY BEGAN TO PLAY, THEY DISMANTLED THAT THEORY WITH A GREAT ROCK VIBE. THEY DEFINITELY HAVE A FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT A HEADLINING ACT SHOULD ENCOMPASS. THEIR FUTURE SEEMS DESTINED TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SON OF THE SUN.
NEXT ON THE BILL, KINGSLEY FLOOD, WHO IMMEDIATELY GRABBED THE ATTENTION OF THE AUDIENCE, PICKED THEM UP AND SPUN THEM AROUND. WE FOUND OURSELVES NOT ONLY DRAWN CLOSER TO THE STAGE BUT GETTING A BIT OF A PUSH FROM THOSE BEHIND US. THE FEELING WAS THAT THE BAND WERE MAGNETS AND THE AUDIENCE WAS METAL AND WHEN THE TWO FORCES CAME CLOSE ENOUGH TO EACH OTHER IT WAS A PULL OF ELECTRIC FORCES. UNLIKE WATER AND OIL, KINGSLEY FLOOD BROUGHT THE PEOPLE CLOSER TO THE STAGE AND SURELY INCREASED THEIR FOLLOWING THROUGH THIS PERFORMANCE. WATCHING TWO MEMBERS, NICK BAKLIN (BASS) AND CHRIS BARRETT (MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST), OF THE BAND SLAP EACH OTHER IN THE FACE FOR ENCOURAGEMENT PRIOR TO THE OPENING NUMBER WAS AN UNUSUAL SIGHT BUT THERE WAS NO DOUBT THIS PUT THEM ON A ALTERED PLANE FOR THIS NIGHT'S GIG. THEIR EAGERNESS TO GET STARTED WAS EMINENT WHEN THEY CONTINUED TO PUSH THE GUY AT THE SOUND BOARD BY SAYING "YOU GOOD, WERE GOOD, YOU GOOD, WERE GOOD." THEY DID A QUICK TUNE-UP AND WERE READY TO PLAY, IT SHOWED AS THEY JUMPED UP AND DOWN ON STAGE AWAITING THE OK. THEY JUST COULD NOT WAIT ANY LONGER TO GET STARTED AND CONGREGATED FOR A COUPLE SECONDS UNTIL NASEEM KHURI (LEAD SINGER) SAID "LETS PLAY." THAT IS JUST WHAT THEY DID AS THEY PUT ASTONISHED LOOKS ON MANY OF THE PATRONS WHEN THEY EXPLODED THE STAGE WITH MOMENTUM.
WE HERE AT RUSTYSCAGE.COM ARE ASKED REGULARLY TO COME TO SHOWS AND DO LIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS IN HOPES SOME OF THE SMALLER BANDS WILL GET EXPOSURE. THE BANDS ARE OFTEN FLAT AND IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND ANYTHING POSITIVE TO PUT INTO WORDS. KINGSLEY FLOOD IS AN EXCEPTION. THEY WANT TO BE ON THE STAGE SINGING THE SONGS THEY HAVE WRITTEN. I COULD IMAGINE MYSELF CURLED UP IN BED DURING A LONG WINTER NIGHT IN BUFFALO (AND EVERYONE LIVING HERE KNOWS THIS TAKES LITTLE IMAGINATION) WATCHING A LIVE PERFORMANCE OF KINGSLEY FLOOD. WHEN THE BAND SAYS GOODNIGHT I WOULD HAVE SWEATED OFF 10 POUNDS AND WOULD FEEL THE EXHAUSTION SET IN AS IF I HAD BEEN STANDING IN THE FRONT ROW FULLY ABSORBED; BODY, MIND, AND SOUL. ALL OF THIS HAVING NEVER LEFT MY ROOM. THIS IS THE MAGNITUDE BLAZING LEVEL OF A COMPLETE POWERHOUSE SHOW. WHEN THIS GROUP THAT INCLUDES STEVE LORD (DRUMMER), GEORGE HALL (GUITAR) AND JENEE MORGAN (VIOLIN, SAX) ROLLS THROUGH SONG AFTER SONG THEY ARE SETTING A NEW STANDARD FOR BANDS WHO LOOK FOR SUCH PERFECTION IN PREPARATION PRIOR TO PLAYING THAT BY THE TIME THEY REACH THE STAGE THE AUDIENCE HAS MENTALLY LEFT THE BUILDING.
CHRIS BARRETT TOOK HIS TRUMPET TO THE PEOPLE LEAVING THE STAGE AND SLIDING THROUGH THE CROWD, NEVER MISSING A NOTE. A MOMENTARY FLASH HIT ME OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE WHEN HOWLIN' WOLF, MUDDY WATERS OR JAY McNEELY WOULD LEAVE THE REST OF THE GROUP ON STAGE AND TAKE THE MUSIC TO THE STREETS. OFTEN THEY WOULD WALK THE BLOCK GATHERING PEDESTRIANS ALONG THE WAY AND BRINGING THEM BACK INTO THE CLUB RE-ENTERING THE STAGE, CONTINUING ON WITH THE SHOW. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT OF AMERICAN HISTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE LIVE IN FRONT OF OUR EYES.
JENEE MORGAN WAS THE GLUE THAT HELD IT ALL TOGETHER, AS HER VIOLIN AND SAX CONTRIBUTIONS WERE UNMISTAKABLY PURE TO THE SOUND THE BAND WAS ACHIEVING. AT FIRST GLANCE HER LOOK IS SOMEWHAT CONTRASTING, WITH HER TATTOOS BOUNDING ON HER ARMS WHILE DRESSED IN A BLUE SUNDRESS AND COWBOY BOOTS THAT HELP THE BEAT DURING THE BANDS COLLECTIVE STOMPS. THEY DESCRIBE THEIR MUSIC AS OTHERS HAVE TRADEMARKED THEM "AMERICANA" BUT WERE QUICK TO POINT OUT ONE NUMBER AS AUTHENTIC COUNTRY. CATEGORIES ARE FOR THOSE WHO NEED TITLES, THIS BAND TOUCHES ON SO MUCH OF AMERICA'S MUSIC HISTORY WITH JAZZ DRUM LINES, BLUES STAGE PRESENCE AND FOLK THOUGHT PROVOKING LYRICS THAT PLACING THEM IN A COLUMN WOULD DO THEM AN INJUSTICE.
THE PRICE OF A HAND STAMP GOT THE PATRON IN THE DOOR AND A COPY OF SON OF THE SUN'S RELEASE. CALL IT A DEAL OR A STEAL, EITHER WAY EVERYONE CAME OUT TO GRAB THE LATEST COPY AND BE TREATED WITH SOME GOOD OLD BUFFALO ROCK 'N' ROLL. ZAK WARD (SINGER) ADMITTED EARLY THAT HIS MOJO WAS OFF AND POSSIBLY IN HIBERNATION. THE PRESSURE MUST HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE WITH THE RELEASE OF THE EP, THE PARTY AND THE AMOUNT OF BIG TIME SHOWS ON THEIR SCHEDULE.
A BAND'S LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE IS OFTEN FED FROM THE CROWD, SO HAVING TO FOLLOW SUCH A HIGH ENERGY BAND AND EVERYTHING SURROUNDING SON OF THE SUN THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY DRAW FROM THE CROWD. DURING A SONG THAT REQUIRED EMOTIONAL STAMINA, WARD CALLS OUT TO FRIENDS UP ON THE HOUSE DECK (DESIGNATED FOR THE BANDS ENTOURAGE) WITH A NOTE OF ANGER AS THEY WERE UNWILLING TO STOP TALKING DURING THE SONG. THIS OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT SUPPORTING THEIR FRIENDS ON STAGE AND ALTHOUGH THE BAND NEVER LOST A BEAT THIS WAS NOT HELPING THE MOJO.
IF THINGS WERE NOT GOING WELL THEY WOULD NOT GET BETTER, AS A GIRL BRINGS SHOTS UP ON STAGE. SURE, THE BAND HAS THINGS TO CELEBRATE AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN TAPPING GLASSES. THE BAND, HOWEVER, WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SONG AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD OFF UNTIL THE SONGS COMPLETION AND THE BAND COULD HAVE HAD A GROUP EFFORT NOT LEAVING OUT JOSEPH STOCKER (GUITAR,PIANO, ORGAN AND VOCALS) WHO AT THE TIME WAS STILL PLAYING AND HOPING TO WIN THE CROWD. THE WAITRESS WHO USED HER TRAY TO HELP TRANSPORT THE SHOTS FROM THE BAR TO THE STAGE WAS LEFT OUT IN THE COLD AS THE GIRL TOOK HER TRAY THAT FOR ANY WAITRESS KNOWS THAT IT IS THEIR PAYCHECK AND LEFT IT ON STAGE WITH NO REGARD TO HER JOB. THE WAITRESS FINALLY CLIMBED OVER AND TOOK THE TRAY AND QUICKLY GOT BACK TO WORK.
ANTICIPATION WAS LIKE HEINZ KETCHUP: SLOW BUT GOOD TO THE LAST DROP. THE MOJO BEGAN TO SEE THE LIGHT OF NIGHT AS THE BAND WAS WRAPPING UP ITS FINAL SONGS. A GLIMMER OF WHAT HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT STRONG SHOWING AT SOME OF BUFFALO AND NIAGARA COUNTIES' LARGE FREE CONCERTS BEGAN TO EMERGE ON STAGE. WARD HAS THE ABILITY TO ERUPT EMOTIONS IN DIRECT JUXTAPOSITION WITH HIS LYRICS THAT CONVEY COMMANDING STAGE PRESENCE. JEREMY FRANKLIN IS QUIETLY AGGRESSIVE AS HE RUNS GUITAR LINES LIKE FEW LOCAL PLAYERS DURING THIS EARLY LIVE SUMMER SEASON. HIS TOUCH CAN BE SOFT, GENTLE AND QUICKLY CHANGE GEARS AND BRING ON A SAVAGE ATTACK MAKING HIM A COMPELLING AXEMAN. FRANKLIN IS ENJOYABLE TO WATCH AS HE MANEUVERS BETWEEN INTENSITY AND SPONTANEITY ONLY IMPROVING WITH EACH SONG.
THE RHYTHM SECTION RARELY GETS CREDIT FOR THEIR IMPACT ON TODAY'S ROCK 'N' ROLL BUT SON OF THE SUN HAS AN AMAZING COMBINATION. BRANDON DELMONT (DRUMS) AND STEVE MATTHEWS (BASS, ROLLEIFLEX) ARE A GREAT FRAMEWORK THAT OPENS THE DOOR FOR THE REST OF THE BAND TO STRUCTURE PERPLEXING ROCK 'N' ROLL SONGS THAT CAN INCORPORATE OLD SOUNDS WITH INTELLIGENTLY NEW LYRICS.
THEIR NEXT LIVE SHOW WILL BE AT HARD ROCK CAFE IN NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK ON JULY 2, 2011 AT 8pm. EXCITEMENT IS BREWING FOR THE TEA PARTY PERFORMING IN LOCKPORT, NEW YORK ON JULY 22, 2011 AND WHO ELSE TO OPEN THE SHOW BUT "SON OF THE SUN. THEY WILL BE WORKING A DOUBLE HEADER THAT DAY AS THEY WILL TRAVEL BACK INTO THE CITY FOR A PERFORMANCE AT NOIR ULTRA LOUNGE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN BUFFALO, NEW YORK.
