PAUL WELLMAN
a&e | POP, ROCK & JAZZ REVIEWS
LUSCIOUS LOCKS: Mexican singer and composer Marco Antonio Solís appeared elated as he stepped in front of a sold-out crowd at the Santa Barbara Bowl last Saturday.
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Lost in Translation Marco Antonio Solís. At the Santa Barbara Bowl, Saturday, September 21. Reviewed by Jake Blair
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arco Antonio Solís impressed in front of a sold-out crowd at the Santa Barbara Bowl on Saturday with a performance that was every bit as impressive as it was genuinely entertaining. Monologues in between songs were received with laughs and excited hoots and hollers, to such a degree that even the attendees who did not speak Spanish (both of us) found themselves laughing, so as to not stand out too dramatically. Such attendees may have accidentally identified themselves as being a “gordita” by raising their glass during one of these comedic interludes. Each of Solís’s songs were accompanied by the music video of that song, synched with the live music which was performed entirely in person by a band composed of more than a dozen musicians. And, while such a musical undertaking is nothing to laugh at, one had to chuckle at the montages of the bearded, long-haired Solís on balconies and beaches mouthing the words being sung a fraction of a second ahead of their pace. Equally as impressive was the audience’s devotion to Solís’s music. Each song was greeted by cheers of enthusiastic recognition, seemingly suggesting that no hit or fan favorite was left off the set list. All in all, it seemed clear that Marco Antonio Solís gave his audience exactly what they wanted — and that’s more than a lot of this season’s Bowl performers can say. ■
Voodoo Revolution Dr. John. At the Granada Theatre, Friday, September 20.
2013
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Revewed by Charles Donelan
W
hen a man sets up with two skulls on top of his Steinway, you know you’re not getting Liberace. Dr. John delivered a funky, rocking, and powerful 100-minute set at the Granada last Friday, leaving absolutely no question that the 72-year-old artist still has the chops, the pacing, and the sense of drama that he’s long been known for, along with an abundance of new musical energy and old-school New Orleans groove. The program mixed numbers from his recent, Grammy-winning, and Dan Auerbach–produced album, Locked Down, with other songs from the whole range of his more-than-fivedecade career. Standouts from the new album included “Revolution,” a bubbling funk cauldron of conspiracy theories and 21st-century political hexes. From there he proceeded to offer a special treat for those who prize his first album as Dr. John, the incredible Gris-Gris, above all others. That gift came in the form of a long, bluesy version of “I Walk on Gilded Splinters.” Hearing this great song live revealed all the layers of its gorgeous, spooky complexity and reinforced the sense that it belongs high up on the list of all-time jams. “Right Place Wrong Time” certainly hit the spot, as did the other up-tempo tunes that dominated the first two-thirds of the set. Dr. John played some sidesaddle electric guitar on “Let the Good Times Roll” and then sat back at the piano for a turn through Leadbelly’s classic barroom weeper “Goodnight, Irene.” Although I understand there’s been some pushback in the New Orleans press on this new band — Sarah Morrow, trombone and musical direction; Reggie Jackson, drums; Joel Johnson, guitar; Dwight Bailey, bass; and Bobby Floyd, organ — they were tight and convincing at the Granada. All hail the king of the ■ (Mardi Gras) Zulus!
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