Common Knowledge rings in New Year 2011 at Village Trestle

Last night’s New Year’s Eve celebration at the Village Trestle in Goffstown, New Hampshire was marked by the celebratory music of Common Knowledge. This band rocks out in the hybrid genres of blues, classic rock, and southern rock. They are a cover band with enough oomph to put their own personal stamp on masterpieces of rock.Common Knowledge were missing their saxophone player and their harmonica player. This didn’t slow them down. Patrons were already up and dancing or dancing in their chairs during the first number. Stripped down to a four-piece, guitar, bass, drums, and lead singer, Common Knowledge hit the ground running with an energetic performance of KT Tunstall’s “Black Horse And The Cherry Tree.” Amberly Gibbs started out strong at the microphone and she only got better as the night went on.

The band moved onto “Lie To Me” with bass player Bill Ingalls belting out the vocals and guitarist Scot Gibbs riffing on guitar energy that could not be tamed. Scot Gibbs sang deep and guttural on a bluesy version of “Route 66” and the band got some assistance from Village Trestle’s owner Steve Pascucci on harmonica. Pascucci, a hobbyist who likes to play with the bands in his room, was up front and center many times through out the night. He sounded like he’s actually been practicing lately. The guitar parts here featured Scot Gibbs playing a firm rhythm inside his lead melodic phrase. This made a dense wall for Pascucci to bounce his harp note off of.

Amberly Gibbs got down and dirty on the vocal parts to Shemekia Copeland’s “2:00 A.M.” Amberly Gibbs has a silkiness in the center of her timbre that rode smoothly over the driving beat, heavy rhythms, and mighty chords. Scot Gibbs was wielding his guitar sounds here like a sword, making them mighty and fearsome as a medieval weapon.

The mightiest song in Common Knowledge’s set list is perhaps the Chicago version of Spencer Davis’ “I’m A Man.” Other bands might not have attempted this tune without a horn player. Common Knowledge jumped right in and made a big, wide sound. Scot Gibbs conjured up some mean, fiery guitar screams and that made up for the absence of horns. On lead vocal, Ingalls belted it out like a man.

A medley of “Use Me,” by Bill Withers, “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrnd Skynyrd, and club standard “Shaky Ground” benefited by various band members. The Skynyrd tune got a real boost from gutiarist/vocalist Jerry Ray Basnar who was with the band as a guest member for most of the night. “Shaky Ground” got a blast off from Amberly Gibbs funky rasp. “Use Me” grew out of the groove from Ingall’s bass guitar and Rick King’s mighty skin smacking, texture-grooving at the drum set.

Amberly Gibbs eventually kicked ass on The Doobie Brothers’ “Without Love” that she made her own with her hearty belt. This girl can hold a note like nobody’s business. She did more of that on Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For The Party” where she got tough girl assertive at the microphone with a boost from her husband Scot’s aggressive chords.

Scot Gibbs brought it down low on Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” with his deeper vocal approach and the low end note on his guitar. Gibbs eventually glided into the tune’s higher, brittle notes with harmonica backing from Pascucci. The whole band was outstanding on Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” because that composition requires a lot to be going on at once. It was just an R&B wall of sound going on, all centered around that movable Wonder beat. Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” allowed Scot Gibbs to whip out more frenetic lead and Pascucci to show off how good he’s gotten at harmonica.

“Black Velvet” was a sexy masterpiece as delivered by Amberly Gibbs who knew how to let the words roll over the twisty rhythms. After the countdown to 2011, Common Knowledge played more variety with more talent to make it another fun night out at the Village Trestle. Owners Steve and Lorraine couldn’t have chose a classier local band to ring in the new year. The Pascucci’s also serve up some of the best tasty burgers in greater-Boston. I had my usual double cheeseburger and it was a mouthful of juicy tenderness.

www.myspace.com/CommonKnowledgenh

www.myspace.com/thevillagetrestle