12/01/00 Steve Kimock Band
The Wetlands Preserve, NY, NY
Click For Setlist
Well, I've had another day to recover from NYC and Wetlands groove therapy and I believe that now I can safely recap the weekend for you all. Friday night I kept a detailed set list and this post will focus on those. Saturday night's set list read only, "12/2 set 1 10:23", and then the music started. More on that night in a bit.
Friday night was great. Everything I hope for in an Steve Kimock Band show and a bit more taboot. The bliss came through the funk which clearly drove much of the show as Bobby and Rodney "Powerhouse" Holmes worked the bottom from the top.
We got into town and got right over to the club which by the time we entered at 9:30 was on the road to filling up; It would be a packed night for sure. The band came out at 10:12 and Steve noted that many of us (we who had skipped Thursday) missed Bobby's Birthday party. They quickly teased Happy Birthday before kicking things off with Bad Hair (approx 18 min.) I love this as an opener and this one rang around in my head long after the show. In fact on Saturday, when I woke, I had Bad Hair both in and on top of my head.
A New Africa (12 min) came next. My notes tell me that Rodney and Tom stood out and made their mark on this one. A solid version for sure. Tom followed this with his little groove number which folks are calling Soul Funk [ed: This song is now titled Ludicrisp] (14 min). A nice, swinging, funky number that came with a little solo from Rodney Holmes.
Many Rivers To Cross (14 min) was heavenly. Steve applied his slide to the Strat' and along with Tom's B3, took us to church. I was in front of the stage (a bit back but with an actual straight-on view for once) for most of the show and saw Steve calling the solos and such. On Many Rivers... Steve pointed to Tom and we received an awesome organ solo. Tom's B3 playing nicely supplements his Korg piano/synth giving what I hear as a nice balance. YMMV on that but I definitely like the addition.
Afterwards, Steve stepped up to the mic and noted that, while it's rather warm in the club, it's merely 11 degrees back in the dressing room. In honor of that cold, they named the next tune Ice Cream Factory as they had written it in that dressing room pre-show Thursday.
Ice Cream.. ran about ten minutes and I liked it. Jazzier that Soul Funk, it contained some nice changes and neatly showcased the various voices of the band. It this is an indication of what these guys can create together, I feel it would be a great shame to let this line-up fall by the wayside. Upon meeting Rodney Holmes Saturday during set break, I told him that very thing. He seemed to agree.
The next tune, Steve introduced as being their "...only song with a vocal." I immediately wrote down Wack and was pleased to here groovy fifteen minute jamming version of the song. Tom laid into the B3 and the tune took itself into a great jam which broke down into a drum & bass jam. Bobby and Rodney were tightening up and getting down before Steve and Tom brought us back to the theme and Steve even got up and provided the vocals.
This wrapped up a hot 87 minute set which had me ready for more.
Set two began after an hour-long sweatbreak and made my night. It's Up To You (21 min) started out of the gate with a brief, spacey, intro and set a delightful tone for the set. They took it out into what I've noted in my set list as a "sick-ass jam" and, after about 15 minutes, Rodney Holmes laid another solo on us. Steve, Bobby and, Tom came back into it shortly and they reprised the theme to wrap up an excellent performance. I'm not in a position to say "best ever" or any of that stuff but it ranks as one of the most satisfying versions I can recall at this point.
The next tune (according to Andy) was Surfin' (8 min) showcased Steve on the Vega and Tom on the B3 dishing out a sweet, loping, reggae groove. This morphed into Footprints (13 min). Steve fired up the Mutron and folded the envelope around the group mind expertly. This band really takes to the jazz and funk numbers with this as no exception.
Hillbillies On PCP (15 min) came next and had a very funky intro jam. Not the best I've heard but well placed and played with Steve grinning like a kid with a secret as he tuned down before nailing the closing riffs. This version was short and sweet but, to me, Hillbillies... is always a treat.
Next up was a real treat, though. Severe Tire Damage (15 min) was beautiful. Tom led another hot jam on the B3 and Rodney took yet another drum solo before they reprised the theme and headed off to play Mr Potato Head (14 min). This, too wasn't the tightest I've seen or heard but it'll get there. Bobby and Rodney were locked in the bottom as Steve and Tom locked above for some excellent interplay. After a bit they abandoned the theme and took things outward for a couple minutes. This didn't last too long, though, and they reprised and wrapped the song up nicely.
I suppose somebody decided that the earlier grooves were nice but not funky enough so they played Poonk -> Cissy Strut -> Poonk (10 min) to get our funk on full-blast. Bobby ruled this entire weekend and shone brightly during these numbers. Steve then stepped up and gave the rap about how "...now is the point..." when they leave the stage, we go nuts and then they come back out for an encore. He asked if we could skip all that drama and get right to it.
Which they did.
You're The One (6 min) hit us hard and fast working us into a final sweat before pouring out into the cold, Manhattan night.
Set 2 clocked at about 1:50 and wrapped up at roughly 2:20am leaving us a short night and a long day away from our next dose...
I thoroughly enjoyed Friday night as did my friends but Saturday took it up a notch. I'm not sure how many more notches up Steve & Co. can go but they're climbing fast.
Saturday, I disengaged rational, list-making brain and allowed myself to get down and groove. I walked out with only a slight idea of some of the tunes that were performed and what I recalled the next day turned out to be a little fuzzy.
I do recall the Boo Boo and Cissy Strut standing out in the First set and Baby Baby ruled. Five B4 Funk smoked as one would expect it to do with Bobzilla and Rodney Holmes laying it down. The Cole's Law -> Tangled Hangers was awesome and a well-received treat (for me as I'd missed Thursday's). High and Lonesome was intense and bizarre with Tom playing what I can now only describe as synth/trance/weirdness. It's Up To You was good despite being a repeat (I love that song) although I can't honestly compare it to Friday night's version.
The encore, however, I remember vividly. I believe it was 3am-ish and the band had left the stage and the remaining audience was quite fired up. Folks had been getting crazy all night and were not ready to quit. When the band came back out, the sat, paused and gave us the cherry-on-top. Little Wing soared. A final peak for a night of peaks and interludes; Steve applied the lyrical beauty of the song directly to the music and passionately built it up.
My mind wandered to the day I pulled a copy of Here Goes Nothin' out of the stacks in the record shop where I worked. I took it up front and guided the needle to Little Wing figuring that if they could satisfy me with that song, the rest would be good... I still listen to that LP quite often and I'm certain that this version will ring in my head for quite some time.
Saturday, to me, was the best of Friday & Saturday although I felt a bit weird not writing anything down at the time. Get the dats/discs and let the music to the talking. I have great confidence that you will not be disappointed in either show.
Click Here for a Full Review of Saturday Night's Show!
©2001- jmh
About the Author jmh is a family man who is thankfull for beer, LPs, and extra guitar strings. Donations of any of these things or cash for their purchase will be happily accepted.