Food & the Brodys

Just as I strolled into LaSalle's, The Brodys were beginning their set. It wasn't unpleasant. In fact, their original material sounded akin to The Ramones (a band I really dig) — rhythmic, without compromising harmony too much, and with a slice of comic pop. It made me move towards the bar with quickened pace and slightly bobbing head. As I weaved through the sparse crowd, I took in the scene. No one was dancing and the cages were empty. Finding an area at the bar from which the bartenders could hear me was easy enough, and most everyone there so far was done up in their best "get-up." The mood was good, the crowd was attentive and talkers relegated themselves to the back of the room or outside.
The Brodys is a four-piece ensemble, with lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums. The lead singer wanted to make it known that they'd just returned from touring in Alaska. This may have been a wise move in spite of the cold this time of year, because what else are you gonna do but go see music at the local pub when it's dark close to 20 hours a day — talk about a captive audience. This travelin' band from Tuscaloosa was a straightforward rock 'n' roll group with a slight punk bent — strong rhythmic emphasis, loud drums and rock guitar riffs. They riffled through their lyrically humorous songs, playing cleanly and clearly at an energetic and prancing pace. At about their sixth or seventh song they left off from their original material and began performing a well-mingled fusion of '80s hits from numerous groups — Twisted Sister, Duran Duran and The B-52s. I don't mean they performed well-arranged songs, but one long song, which fused together the best elements of these '80s classics. Although I wasn't particularly struck by the band's talent, I did feel that this illustrated some musical mastery, but not to the extent demonstrated by the following band, Food.
Being a great local funk band, Food was more rhythmically oriented and musically complex than The Brodys. Their jazzy, up-tempo sound and changing bass line got people moving immediately. With their start-up, the dance floor grew congested and the vibe in the room became more festive. Well-played and well-orchestrated guitar solos and trumpeting accentuated the spectacle. Soon band members were moving about on stage in unison and harmonizing vocals. Their performance on stage and combined musicianship only further fueled the frenzy already festooning the dance floor.
Musically they somewhat typified ska bands popular in the '90s, such as the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Save Ferris — but their sound can't be encapsulated by this generalization. By incorporating elements of various genres, like bluegrass, swing, jazz and country into their music, they've fostered something of a unique musical mix. This I felt revealed the subtle complexity of their music, as did the bouncy bass lines and intricate jazz guitar runs. Like The Brodys, they too mimicked the classical work of another group, doing a splendid job covering Sade's "Smooth Operator."
– Anthony W. Korsund

Bookmark:

Comments down for maintenance.