http://www.breakthruradio.com/index.php?b=review.php?id=170
John Brown's Body
Live in Gainesville, FL at Common Grounds on August 5,
2009
BreakThru Radio
8-7-09
By Emily Smith
Bold statement being made in 3...2...1!
Wednesday night's show at the Common Grounds in Gainesville, Florida may be the best show I've ever seen in this town. Without a doubt, it's in the top three. I've lived here for six years and seen a plethora of live music in that span, of both the local and national variety, so this is a pretty big accolade.
There were three talented dub & reggae-influenced bands bolstering the bill. Hours Eastly opened the set, followed by Passafire, and then came the headliners, John Brown's Body. All three bands put on solid sets, and though the majority of the bar's patrons came out in support of JBB, most seemed pleasantly surprised by the fine quality of the openers. Moreover, after both Hours Eastly and Passafire sets, I heard numerous comments in the vein of "damn they were good".
Reggae music has the infallible and amazing capability to improve even the darkest of moods. Something about that Caribbean vibe just takes away the troubles of the day and relaxes muscles, no matter how wound up one might be. The mood at Common Grounds was unlike any I had ever experienced at the venue before. It seemed like everyone wanted to chat and be friendly with everyone else. The unity on the dance floor was like nothing I'd ever seen.
For the most part, there isn't a lot of dancing at shows in Gainesville. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based John Brown's Body was a rare exception and treat. It often seems like show goers in this town find it a chore to just nod their heads to the music. This made for a stark contrast to the JBB show, where it seemed like no one could contain their rhythmic motions even if they wanted to.
For me, smiling faces, dancing, and intensely positive vibes in the crowd are good signs that the band is doing their job. Music can transform people, and the 8-piece group known as John Brown's Body did an amazing job of that. In fact, I doubt there was one disappointed soul in the room. That warm feeling of unity was everywhere.
What did JBB do to create such an engaging and jovial atmosphere? Well, they put on a high energy show with a lot of emotion and heart behind it. The group played some older tracks mixed with newer selections from their 2008 release Amplify. Amplify has recently been remixed into a 2009 release entitled Re-Amplify, and it features JBB remixes by Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo (Gym Class Heroes), Dubmatix, Blue King Brown, Tommie Sunshine and more.
The band has even been incorporating the remixed versions of the tracks into their live set. This is a good thing, because if their goal was to make an easily likable dance record, they succeeded. The music is ridiculously agreeable and easy to digest. It's great for creating atmosphere at a show, and it's certainly an album you can enjoy from beginning to end. Also, if you make it to the end there is a special treat waiting; a new live recording of "Struggling!"
Along with playing fantastic, original tunes, JBB has quite a stage presence. They have enough going on to entertain even the most severe of ADD cases. The band comes complete with a dapper three-piece horn section (Sam Dechenne – Trumpet, Drew Sayers – Sax, Scott Flynn – Trombone) and a charismatic frontman (Elliot Martin – Lead Vocals). The fullness of their sound is brought together by some talented strings (Mike Keenan – Guitar, Nate Edgar - Bass), percussion (Tommy Benedetti – Drums), etc. (Kofi Matthew Goodwin – Hammond B3, Clavinet, Synths). They all come together nicely to create an invigorating atmosphere and sublime sound.
The evening's festivities will not soon be forgotten. Do yourself a favor and create some memories of your own. Definitely catch John Brown's Body live at a venue near you! And listen up to BTR for great tunes from the band!
www.breakthruradio.com