Neither snow nor sleet nor rain kept me away from catching
Americana act Coulter & Christiano at
Sticky Lips Juke Joint on Thursday night. It had been a while since I
heard Rita Coulter sing, so it was time to hear what’s happening. Her partner,
Don Christiano, performed double duty on guitar and
co-lead vocals as the acoustic duo poured out a two-hour set on the sticky
stomp stage in front of a fairly well attended crowd. The pair’s rendition of
Old 97s “Fireflies” warmed up the audience despite the weather and both
musicians dug into a deep repertoire. Other standout covers included Hank
Williams’ “I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive,” and “Nashville Cats,” a Lovin’ Spoonful number, that was reminiscent of the late
great Colorblind James.
Swedish metal quartet Enforcer stormed the
gates of the Montage Music Hall for a Friday concert. Most metal
groups make you want to bang your head. Swedish bands make you want to pump up
the volume. Enforcer did not disappoint. Front man Olof Wikstrand resembled a Viking David Lee Roth with an
ax while the rest of the band kicked out the jams in a revved up, purist sort
of way. At one point Wikstrand announced to the
crowd, “We didn’t come here to be mellow with you guys. We came here to break
your f***ing necks and crush your skulls.” That’s
exactly what Enforcer did. It was the sort of devastatingly epic performance
that can restore your faith in rock ‘n’ roll.
Saturday night is all right for fighting so I put on my
Maple Leafs jersey and drove out to Lovin’ Cup to
check out The Majestics. What more can I say about this group that
has been a force in reggae for more than 30 years? The core of Ron Stackman (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar),
Jim Schwarz (bass), Lou LaVilla (drums) once
backed-up Lee “Scratch” Perry when he opened for The Clash. At Lovin’ Cup, The Majestics added guitarist Kevin Hart and
proved that it is one of the finest bands this town has ever produced. The
quartet kicked it off with a pristine version of Wailing Souls’ “Jah Jah Give Us Life To Live” and
never let go. Stackman’s voice resonated strongly
throughout as the backbone spread some Rastaman
vibrations to an audience that was mostly grooving on its feet. Although the
band’s set included covers, there was room for originals including “Buck Rogers,”
a new tune written by Bahama Mama buddy Jim Kraut.
After The Majestics finished the last song, the crowd demanded an encore. The
band obliged which just goes to prove that when it’s real, you want more.
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2016.
