Soledad Brothers Roll Call

[kurosawa-b/w]

This Sunday at Iota. Who else is going?

[chaz]

A friend just called asking if I want to go.  Tell me about these Soledad Brothers....I know nothing.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Faggy hipsters from upper middle class suburbia reinterpreting the blues in their own unique, hip way. Most blues musicians would frown or be confused.

[sonickteam2]

heard of em
 
 never heard em
 
 
 are the like the Black Keys?

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

In all seriousness, the openers the Forty-Fives are pretty decent. I haven't heard Soledad Brothers, but what I've read about them makes them sound pretty lame.

[twangirl]

The Forty-Fives are a favorite of mine, they rock all the way out. I've seen them many times and still  wouldn't miss 'em. Not sure about the Soledads, CD doesn't really do it for me but I'm ready to give them a chance live.

[kurosawa-b/w]

I've seen the Soledad Brothers once before and loved the show. Fiery blues rock. I would compare them to the Black Keys. I will make sure I get there early enough to catch the Forty-Fives.

[snailhook]

 Faggy hipsters from upper middle class suburbia reinterpreting the blues in their own unique, hip way. Most blues musicians would frown or be confused.

and how is this different than, say, your average alt-country band that you worship? translate to:
 
 "Faggy hipsters from upper middle class suburbia reinterpreting country in their own unique, hip way. Most country musicians would frown or be confused."
 
 for what it's worth, the soledad brothers are a solid live band, and they do something a little different within the indie-hipster blues-rock idiom. i also wasn't aware that toledo was considered upper middle class suburbia.

[Jaguär]

I'd love to go to see the Forty-Fives but won't be able to attend.    :confused:    Have fun for me.

[twangirl]

FYI the Forty-Fives cancelled tonight due to a van breakdown. I was told Soledad Brothers will go on about 9:30.

[kurosawa-b/w]

Another great show by the Soledad Brothers. Ben Swank is definitely one of my favorite drummers. They are using the sax (and Oliver's singing) more effectively now, too. A decent crowd with a large number of middle-aged blues enthusiasts.

[Bags]

Soledad Brothers' Churning Primal Rock
 
 
 Tuesday, November 9, 2004; Page C07
 
 
 Detroit's garage-rock renaissance has spawned a bevy of gritty bands intent on capturing the rough, raw spirit of a bygone era. It is a backward-looking scene obsessed with rediscovering and maybe even re-creating that moment when hard-edged rock, the earliest hints of punk and explosive blues collided in a magnificent sonic maelstrom.
 
 One of the avatars of this retro sound is the Soledad Brothers, a Detroit-based trio that has taken the old-school ethos to heart. In front of a crowd of a just a few dozen at Iota on Sunday night, the band's blistering performance brought the ghosts of rock's past to life. With a swaggering sound that hinted at the intensity and bluster of Led Zeppelin, MC5, even early Rolling Stones, the band made a roiling pitch for primal rock.
 
 Most drummers are fairly anonymous, but Ben Swank (real name Ben Smith) plays with Keith Moon ferocity and has a jubilant, thrashing style that makes you never want to look away. He assumed at least an equal role with guitarists and singers Johnny Walker (real name Johnny Wirick) and Oliver Henry (real name Oliver Henry).
 
 Most of the songs during the 90-minute set were drawn from the band's latest CD, "Voice of Treason," including the thunderous "Elucidator" and "Handle Song," as full-throttle a rocker as was ever made. "Cage That Tiger" was another bristling bit of mayhem. And when Henry added bluesy saxophone blasts on a few numbers, it felt like a prelude to a riot.
 
 The Soledad Brothers can make music that feels like a thrilling, dangerous storm. But where they can take such music is questionable. It is a sound that has been done before, and to simply re-create it is ultimately unsatisfying.
 
 -- Joe Heim