It’s an unparalleled experience nowadays to attend a concert of a band that truly cares about its fans. Numerous times, I’ve attended concerts where an artist unmistakably scurries through notes and lyrics just in time to dash off stage and still make a night of it on the town. And what of those times when lead singers hog the microphone to psychologically vomit their personal life issues onto the audience? I, frankly, am less than grateful when forced to witness such uncouth displays of behavior. All I simply ask is that the musician stick to the subject at hand &-&- music!
This past Saturday night I was pleased by Tea Leaf Green’s performance at the Paradise Rock Club. The band took the stage at 10 p.m. and jammed their way straight to 1 a.m., with just a short break after the first set. The band addressed the audience only to introduce itself and recite a brief thank you, but the remainder of the evening was solely devoted to music. It was a welcome surprise.
The Paradise Rock Club was a perfect venue for this talented group of musicians, who have a polished signature sound of psychedelic- and jazz-infused rock and roll. Playing deftly on both keyboard and harmonica, lead singer Trevor Garrod swayed loosely on his stool and sang in a sweet, young voice. Guitarist Josh Clark held the audience captive with guitar solos, which were reminiscent of other jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish.
The music of Tea Leaf Green is not only for the devoted fan base that travels with the band from city to city craving the idealistic sense of freedom their music conveys. Even casual fans would agree that it’s not difficult to enjoy the laid-back sound of Tea Leaf Green. They invite you to roll with them on an American adventure&-“Darlin’, let’s let our hair grow long, we can work on farm, maybe live on a mountain . . .”
At one point during the concert, Garrod brought a song to its climax by standing on top of his stool, playing away on the harmonica, and letting himself fall backwards into the waiting arms of a stage hand. Without a doubt, this band has both spirit and a sort of familiarity, two qualities that many well-known bands are lacking. A quality performance of a thorough set list, including several better-known songs&-such as “The Garden (Part III),” quoted above&-is bound to get even the average head-nodders to start swishing their hair.
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