Photos by Omar Kasrawi
It seems like the biggest trend in music journalism is to ponder why streaming services are killing the music you love, or why rock is dead and transforming into something new, or even why the electric guitar is soon to become a thing of the past. But for one Easter Sunday night at Brooklyn Steel, California based rockers Rival Sons seemed to say, “Just hold on one damn minute!”
But before Rival Sons could have their say, and way with the packed crowd, it was up up to 70s southern rock revivalists The Sheepdogs to prime the venue. The Saskatoon, Canadian group always come dressed to the nines, with the sounds to match. We’re talking blue denim jackets on blue demin bell bottoms, bedazzled powder blue suits, deep blue (bordering on purple) western inspired shirts and more. Their vibe is as silky smooth as lead singer and guitarist Ewan Currie’s shirts and riffs.
You could listen to almost any member of the band solo but its when they’re all coming at you in a wall of sound that the bands shines the most. But you’ll still pick up on the individual charms present. From guitarist Jimmy Bowskill’s dexterous rapid-fire fingers to Ryan Gullen’s thunderous bass lines and wild whiplash hairflips, this is band full of character and respect for the musical vibes of the days gone by they clearly love so much. From there, it was the swaggery rock riffs of Rival Sons to whip the crowd into a full-fledged frenzy.
Touring in support of their excellent new record, Feral Roots, the Sons seemed to wave a big middle finger at those aforementioned articles declaring rock is dead. Lead singer Jay Buchanan comes at you with a monstrous howl as he shimmies his way across the stage, frequently cozying up to partner in crime and well-coiffed guitarist, Scott Holiday. Holiday provides enough electricity (no matter which of his many guitars he wields) to power a small city.
On this Easter Sunday, Buchanan made sure to give his own sermon on the importance of grief before the band broke into “Jordan”. In fact, you might think that with the band’s name, and the imagery in many of their songs, that you’d be grooving to a Christian rock band. But Rival Sons is perhaps one of the most spiritually diverse bands out there. After all you’ve got Hare Krishna, the (Native American) Red Road, and Christianity all represented here. And those beliefs fuel an intensity in both the band’s sounds and vocal imagery.
The band played a handful of their classics like “Electric Man” and “Pressure and Time” to go along with rip-roaring arena anthems off the new record, like “Do You Worst” and “Shooting Stars” to keep the audience singing along with Buchanan all night long. And that night was one to prove that all those articles lamenting the passing of rock music have yet to truly materialize.
The Sheepdogs:
Rival Sons:
Rival Sons setlist:
1. Back in the Woods
2. Sugar on the Bone
3. Pressure and Time
4. Electric Man
5. Too Bad
6. Jordan
7. Face of Light
8. Feral Roots
9. Torture
10. Open My Eyes
11. All Directions
12. End of Forever
13. Do Your Worst
Encore:
14. Shooting Stars
15. Keep On Swinging
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