The Greenhornes brought their sultry 60’s era rock to Brighton Music Hall last Wednesday, headlining a three-band ticket of acts equally as invested in the sounds of the 60’s and 70’s.
The opener was Township, an amalgam of heavy rock such as Mountain, AC/DC, early Black Sabbath and more. They were certainly lively but I can’t say that I’m a fan of the early metal that seemed to be one of the band’s main influences (especially prevalent in the rhythm guitar).
The second band of the night was certainly a step up. Based in bluesy rock, Hacienda took the stage with fuzzy bass and funky keys, playing soulful tunes. Hacienda made it obvious as to why Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys would enlist the band for his own solo tour a few years ago as well as produce their two albums.
The Greenhornes filed in midway through Hacienda’s impressive set, after having been held at the Canadian boarder for some five hours.
Hacienda was impressive but the Greenhornes proved to be the highlight of the night. While the Greenhornes have been around in one form or another since 1996, they are best known for drummer Patrick Keeler’s and bassist Jack Lawrence’s side-projects.
The two comprise the rhythm section of The Raconteurs alongside Jack White and Brendan Benson, while Lawrence also joins White with the Dead Weather.
Due to the holdup at the border, Keeler hopped onto Hacienda’s kit (a classic Ludwig from the 60’s) and did not miss a beat for the entirety of the band’s set.
Keeler and Lawrence provide a solid rhythm section for frontman and guitarist Craig Fox, who, even while standing eerily still, delivered passionate guitar licks and vocals.
Fox is an anomaly on stage. While he is technically skilled, he stands in an almost trancelike state on stage, often staring off into the distance with a zombified stance, while the other two passionately tap the skins and slap the bass.
Anomaly or not, the band delivered a great performance of early hits, recent cuts, and even a few covers. The band’s first single, “The End of The Night” sounded as good as it did in 1998 and other highpoints included the spirited covers of James Brown’s “I’ll Go Crazy” and the Yardbirds’ “Lost Woman”; the latter included an energetic drum solo by an enthusiastic Keeler, who kept at the top of his game the entire night.
Originals such as “Pattern Skies” and “Too Much Sorrow” also highlighted the band’s sultry 60’s swag that makes the band so special.
For more, check out the MUSE’s interview with Patrick Keeler online.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
