Baltimore’s favorite band The Bridge warmed up the crowd at the Paradise Rock Club on a cold and rainy Friday night, blending elements of rock, funk and bluegrass to get the whole audience dancing.
The Bridge played a blistering 40-minute set that showcased their unique sound, which combines electric guitar, keyboards, saxophone and mandolin with a rhythm section that is occasionally augmented by mandolin player Kenny Liner’s impressive beat boxing skills.
The show kicked off with the laid back ‘Get Back Up’ from their self-titled 2006 album before breaking into some serious bluegrass with a new song, ‘In Dreams.’
Led by Liner’s mandolin playing and guitarist and singer Cris Jacobs’ lightning-quick fills and solos, the band shined when playing new material, which will be featured on their new CD Blind Man’s Hill.
I think the songwriting [on the new CD] speaks for itself,’ Liner said. ‘We compiled all the things we learned from making our last record, and I think this is the best one we’ve ever done.’
Vocal harmonies between Jacobs and bassist Dave Markowitz sweetened up several songs while new keyboardist Mark Brown filled out the sound with a few soaring solos. Saxophone player Patrick Rainey brought funk-based texture to the music.
Liner’s extraordinary talent for beat boxing, something he has been experimenting with since elementary school, was showcased as he took the microphone for ‘The Ballad of Clear Rock,’ a slow funk song in which Liner provides the foundation the rest of the band builds on.
The song displayed a bit of what makes The Bridge so interesting: They mix several genres using a variety of instruments to create their own unique style. ‘Some things work and some don’t,’ Liner explained. ‘But everybody brings their own flavor.’
Their cover of Little Feat’s ‘Skin It Back’ was a refreshing homage to the legendary band to whose southern, soul-drenched funk The Bridge is often compared. The connection, however, goes even further, as the CD release party for Blind Man’s Hill will be on Oct. 17, a night that will see The Bridge opening for Little Feat at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C.
‘They are one of our favorite bands . . . it’s an honor and a dream come true for us to be playing with them,’ Liner said. ‘I’m just as excited to see them play, especially at such a legendary venue.’
