“Usually we are a little louder and a little less dressed” Liza Colby casually admitted at Rockwood Stage 1 on Thursday afternoon and if the Liza Colby Sounds’ hard edged rock and soul revue wasn’t reason enough to check them out on Friday night at Grand Victory –part of a metal maidens concert, surely the added plus of the comely Liza even more undressed should sure do the trick.
Having said that the band are obviously great, obviously pros and obviously performed a fine set,. Still, the brothers North, Adam (on a brand new Gibson guitar) and drummer Charly (who you and I know best from his bass with the Bowerytones) plus bassist Alec Morton along with the gruff and soulful Liza, are a touch subdued this afternoon. It is a little early for a whiskey soaked night of sharp blues and soul originals triggering out of your mind shenanigans and blues wails. The stage is too small and you can just imagine Liza dancing up a storm like a High School boy’s dream of what a blues singer should be doing. Adam is a gifted guitarist, his licks are more than garage tricks, they ring so well, so cleanly they don’t quite have the grist of the blues but how much of that is just the context, I am not sure. Charly is a little better than his brother this day, he keeps it very simple and very steady and the band take the set with almost ridiculous ease. “Sugar” is a highlight, mostly because I recognized it. “Bad Love” (I think!) was a good sexy turn with Liza getting down and dirty and the band keeping up appearances.
The Lower East Side based soul rockers have performed together since 2009 and they have the ease and skill of born pros but born pros performing with one arm tied behind their back this afternoon.
They should have talked a touch less and Liza should have jumped off the stage and used to floor to sell the band, or perhaps, the band should have done what they said they were planning to do and perform an acoustic set. What we got was fine, and any set that has Liza Colby singing her bluesy heart out and constantly rocking songs all with her shirt half undone certainly can’t be all bad. But it wasn’t what the Liza Colby Sound are capable of.
I’ll catch em at night, late at night, next time.
Grade: B
