Lydia Warren And The Neurotics hit Smoken’ Joe’s in Brighton last night and served up a few hours of hefty blues. Warren, on lead and rhythm guitar and vocals, was joined by her Neurotics line up of harmonica player/guitar player/vocalist Josh Fulero, bass player Danny Banks, and drummer Chris Rivelli.
The group opened with Muddy Waters’ classic “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.” Fulero’s gravel voice and harmonica melt down made the song speak to you. He found a lot of earth in his singing and playing. His harp notes stretch out and make a nice high pitch moan, real down and dirty stuff. Warren came in on guitar, her pristine lead notes chirpy and jaunty as she grinded her way forward with electric momentum.
“Crazy About You, Baby” found Fulero making a spiral of harp notes, all greasy and hot, busting with vintage sounds. He was most impressive when he held a note for several seconds, soundinf like a loud train whistle from the old days, the one that went off whenever the locomotive came to the station.
Bass player Danny Banks(Hey, isn’t this guy supposed to be a drummer?) provided a smooth, flowing low end that gave more than just support. He was as busy, at times, as a second melody instrument. Banks created solid platforms for Warren’s phrases, ones she injected with her plenty of electricity, lines that slid and snaked their way across Banks’s bottom.
Fulero’s rhythm guitar on “Baby, Please Come Back To Me” was thick with rippling currents of groove while Warren’s got voice beautifully husky as she rung each note for what it was worth. Soon, Fulero switched into lead mode and he pressed some high pitched hijinks out of his six string, playing with precise tenderness.
Eventually, Warren and her Neurotics crew cranked out a fast beat blues tune that allowed Lydia to hold her husky drawl forever, the music moving forward while her voice hung over it all like a flag in a solid breeze. Warren then took it down slow, singing so sweet and softly, her voice touching the audiences collective ear like a light brush of a hankerchief.
Danny Banks took over the lead vocal chores on a couple of surf-rock numbers and proved himself an able singer. Warren’s surf style picking was a twisty swath of notes that could’ve jumped off an American Graffitti soundtrack. The second surfy number allowed both guitars to exchange some tasteful, brittle licks. Fun stuff.
The highlight of the evening came when Warren and her boys performed Freddie King’s “Going Down,” a staple covered numerous times over the years by blues and rock players. The rhythm section kept up a tough, muscular groove and Lydia’s powerhouse vocal reached emotive, screaming heights. There was plenty of lighting in the guitars here too.
“Done Got Over it” by Guitar Slim was a nice, slow, crawling blues, moving along like a snake, slithering in search of something good. Fulero brought his voice down low, dirty, guttural, making for a plaintive yell.
Guest performers last night included 13 year old guitarist Len Tetta, a kid with a big blues voice at the microphone and a very snappy approach to his lead guitar. Tetta exchanged licks with both Warren and Fulero and he eventually applied a tender, delicate melodic line that showed unusual restraint for such a young player.
South Shore blues mama Gracie Curran took to the microphone to belt out “Got Your Mojo Working” and she kept it thick with soul and class, an appeal she brings to her own band. Curran is an old school torch singer who can always be counted on to sing it like a spirited blues diva from yesteryear. Curran delivered last night, her voice a smooth, thick timbre that rides over the music like a limo.
“I Got Loaded” was an ironic number for Warren to perform. As many of us know, she first started out in greater-Boston blues scene as a teenager who wasn’t old enough to drink in the bars she played in. Warren now has ten times the stage presence, and maybe because she’s a woman now, she has blossomed into a seasoned pro who knows how to interact with her audience while entertaining it. She is still at her best, though, when she lets loose a mean, fiery guitar phrase. She just has the tone and the emotion and technical precision all mixed into one incredible tonic. She is still young enough to get signed to an independent blues label.
Even when Warren stepped away from the microphone, she could still be heard on the other side of the room with clarity and purpose, her clear, husky alto sounding out like a fine tuned instrument.
All tunes last night had a palpable groove, courtesy of drummer Rivelli. “Love And War” was just one example of where Rivelli kept this kind of blues music punchy all night. This drummer gave the surf stuff a running beat, the blues stuff deep grounding, and the oldies stuff the tasteful touches they called for.
Last night’s showing of Lydia Warren And The Neurotics proves that solid, old-fashioned blues, a seriously respected American music, can still be fun and entertaining.