There isn’t a serious rock band in the country who couldn’t learn something from the Fumes outstanding i set at Rockwoods Music Hall last night.
The two member blues band traversed all the by-ways of making the blues more than an exercise in form. Country, 50s rock, soulful ballads, 4 on the floor, and dollops of Bo Diddley’s slashing guitar styling. All topped off by a great hard rock vocalist, Steve Perry, who could move to pure country easy.
Around the halfway mark, Steve calls for a vodka tonic to settle his nerves. It is too laugh. From a devastating 1-2-3 punch opening, “Rogue River Women”, “High City Lights” and their current single “Automobile” Steve and drummer Joel Battersby start with sun sessions rock, move to country blues and end with high voltage heavy blues with Steve all but slipping off his chair.
Wearing a baseball cap and a shaggy beard, Steve exudes a wastrels cool and a deep in the roots rockitude, friendly but smart.
Joel is a great drummer: very very loud when he has to be, on “Tell Ya Story Walking” he barely touches the drums, before roaring off again. “New cymbals” he says, explaining the huge sound.
By the fourth song, the Fumes are unleashing their inner Led Zep with Steve switching guitars for a heavier bottom and though Steve is sitting during the set the excitement of the music starting with “Seven Year Itch has him almost falling down as he leans in every direction he can manage,moves his guitar to his right and on the last song of the set is on his knees playing before setting the guitar on its back on his knees and playing it like a slide guitar without benefit of a slide. This is the way every blues band should be, aware of their (actually, our) heritage, honoring it while making it their own.
A tremendous set which has the audience with them from the get go, I still didn’t feel it was much more than they would perform on any given set.
The Fumes are so good they play this way every time out.
10pm tonight at Rockwood Music Hall on Allen Street is the next time they are playing. Go already.