What are you doing today? Me, I am heading over to Metlife to check out Jay Z and Beyonce and then heading out early to get to the Bluenote by 1230am and catch the Tomas Doncker Band for a Howlin’ at Midnight gig, TDB release party for their best blues album of the year Moanin’ At Midnight.
I have dubbed TDB NYC’s best rock band a couple of times recently and if you went to the James Chance gig last month you’ll know what I mean and not just their stellar work backing Chance, but their incredible hard rocking playing behind Marla Mase and especially Tomas Doncker’s spiked punk blues solos, were on a whole other level.
I went in search of a setlist and found it…
1. Evil – Tomas Doncker Band – If you can get past Doncker’s vocal, which sounds like a femme fatale is slitting his throat with a cleaver, David Barnes harp owns the track and even a fine guitar solo can’t get it out of his hands.
2. Killing Floor – Tomas Doncker Band – This is Chicago blues as written, it is like a flame on the fuse of a bomb and you watch it slowly burn; or maybe it is all simmer and burn.
3. Moanin’ At Midnight – Tomas Doncker Band- The rhythm is one of those hobos on a mystery train and the harp sounds like a steam engine puffing off, another vocal tour de force by Tomas.
4. Spoonful – Tomas Doncker Band- This song is at such a place in the national (world) consciousness, there seems to be nothing left to be done about it. But Doncker takes the lick and puts every instrument right behind it, so it sounds like a deep explosion.
5. Drown In Blue – Marla Mase – A centerpiece of Marla’s live performance, Tomas co-wrote the song and if he strips it all the way down to the hook it should shake Bluenote and rattle all of us.
6. Shook Down – TDB – With the band adding vocal harmonies, this is what you imagine Crosby, Stills, Nash And Doncker would sound like.
7. The Midnight Hour – Ray Charles – Charles became such a pop star you forget sometimes, that behind the horns was a blues guy. Here the horns sound like they are sugar coating a poison pill.
8. I Ain’t Superstitious – Howlin’ Wolf – This is a slower, moodier version than Doncker’s, cover. Dincker has a swagger while Wolf seems quietly disturbed.
9. Smokestack Lightning – TDM – This is the one we’ve been waiting for, everything you’ve loved about the albu, comes full circle in this raging, howling, hormone attack. This is dioncker’s, he takes it away from his band, indeed, he steals it from Wolf himself as he howls in the midnight hour. Unspeakable greatness.
10. Let The Good Times Roll – Ray Charles – And at 2am in the morning I am sure the good times will indeed be rolling
