Sam Evian/Andre Costello and the Cool Minors/Some Kind of Animal
Sam Evian/Andre Costello and the Cool Minors/Some Kind of Animal
Brillobox, Bloomfield PA
October 26th, 2016
October 26th, 2016
Review and Pictures by Lisa Sikon
Wednesday is usually a quiet night in Pittsburgh, so it was the perfect time to go out to the Brillobox
in Bloomfield and see three exceptional bands that all have mastered the art playing mellow music. First up was a Pittsburgh local band, Some Kind of Animal. I have heard of this band from some local music festivals but this was the first time seeing them play live.
The band consists of Anthony Jardine on vocals/keys and guitar, Tim Mulhern on vocals and guitar, Rich Condon on bass and David Rocco on drums. I loved the jazzy, soulful sound and rich harmonies. The last song in the set, 'Midnight' was definitely my favorite. I highly recommend finding and seeing this band play live, it is worth the search.
Next up was Andre Costello and the Cool Minors. The band consists of Andre Costello on vocals and guitar, Matthew Fiorillo on vocals and bass, James Hart on keys and Nicolas Charters on drums. This is a local favorite of mine that I discovered last year, I have been to more than a few of their shows.
Tonight they played a mix of some of their older songs as well as some new ones not yet recorded. One of my favorite older songs is 'Virgil', off of their album, 'The Rattling Arcade'. It's a song that is easy to listen to with a mix of nice instrumental guitar tossed in. The other song I liked a lot was the last song in the set and a newer one, 'Kind of Makes You Feel Good'. What I love about this band is that it is continually maturing and creating a different sound. I like the new direction that it is taking, being more instrumental and less of a pop band. Tonight they played a lot of newer songs, with instrumental guitar and keyboard playing inserted into the middle of the songs. I love Andre's soft falsetto voice that adds so much to the lyrics. This band plays well together and I really like listening to the new mature jazzy sounds.
Sam Evian is based out of New York on tour promoting his new album 'Premium'. I was extremely impressed with the talent and music skills of this artist. He put a jazzy mellow twist in every song he played, from a country song to some new songs from his album. He has a very rich voice and his musical skill was evident, often
playing the guitar as well as the keys. He came out off the stage a few times and interacted with the crowd, which was a nice touch. There were a few girls in the crowd that were dancing, and he gave a nice shout out to them. I liked his soft voice, it was mesmerizing and complemented the instrumental additions to the songs. The band accented the songs with some rich solos. The new album 'Premium' has a number of mellow songs on it that are very smooth listening that I enjoyed. Sam Evian is an up and coming artist that will have a long career. I would definitely recommend checking out his music and going to a live show. I will definitely try to catch him on his next round to Pittsburgh.
One note on the Brillobox-it's a nice small venue with good acoustics, but they could use a bit more lighting on the stage to accent the performances. It would be nice to actually see the artists as well as hear them. It was a very enjoyable evening, the three bands complemented each other and made for a nice, easy evening of wonderful music.
-
More at UnRatedMagazine.com
Post a Comment