Uncle Lucius 8/29/10

Uncle Lucius has not been together long, their current member lineup not even forming until the recording of their second CD (Pick Your Head Up, 2009), but dang-- sometimes the right combination of musical players can create a rich sound from the start.  Soul-infused southern rock stirred with blues is their specialty..  and don't forget that splash of funk.

Uncle Lucius is Kevin Galloway (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and oh-yeah!  tambourine), Mike Carpenter (lead guitar, vocals, and although we didn't see it-- harmonica), Hal Vorpahl (bass), and Josh Greco (drums, percussion, vocals).  

Today was the Austin Chronicle's (20th!) Annual Hot Sauce Festival in Waterloo Park, a benefit for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.  Right on!  Uncle Lucius took the stage when things were heating up all around under the Texas Sunshine, and added their own fire.  There was a whole line-up of admirable musicians, but I think I have learned I can only write about one band/artist at a time.  

They opened with "Now", a song not on any album yet, setting a soulful tone with Carpenter's crying guitar riffs and Galloway's note-perfect and--can I say virile?-- vocals delivering Zen/vernacular lyrics such as:  "You forget that life, it is no accident-- yeah you get caught up in the hustle you've been fed".  (That line woke me right up.)  Vorpahl on bass immediately proved his ability in this opener to climb the scales yet keep it funky, and Greco's control of a drum kit, or the direction of a jam as proved later-- well, that's no accident either. 

The second song --title unknown--gave Carpenter a chance at singing, ending in a guitar solo that extended itself into a full conversation with the rest of the band.  These guys listen to each other, and don't overplay their instruments.  The term "jam band" got kicked around and probably abused in the early 90's, perhaps giving jamming a bad name-- so I won't say Uncle Lucius "jams" (although I should)-- the members of Uncle Lucius converse, with different members taking the lead at times-- and it's not all planned and perfect, not even following the skeleton of a composition at times.  Yet the music still tells a story, and that's impressive for a relatively new band, or any band.   I won't make a prediction, but I will say I see a chemistry in place for years of good music to come.  Uncle Lucius can get perfectly slow, southern, still--an exercise in listening-- and they can take off like a rocket ship.

Uncle Lucius sings songs of searching , traveling, drinking, hoping, finding, and loving.  Once in a while, there's a little bit of redemption.  Once in a while, there's a little bit of "drinkin whiskey left-handed".  When they aren't making you listen, they're making you dance, as the Tamalady demonstrated, shaking her stuff in a hot-pink dress without shaking the clay pot full of fresh roses off her head.  (Really!) 

Carpenter really sets to work on his guitar at times, and is not shy with the tools, toys, and tricks--but only one at a time, if any at all-- it's more a concentration than a show.  From a pinky slide to a wawa pedal to a violin bow, he mixes up his own sound within each song..  some of which we heard today:  "97 Reasons"..  then a sax and trumpet player joined the stage for  "Mississippi Highway", "Everybody Got Soul"..  -->  a real rockin and (not surprisingly) soulful number that was followed in stark contrast by some acoustic guitar, the horns (the sax soon traded in for a flute), and Carpenter playing the violin bow on his electric.  These stormy sounds, momentarily reminiscent of Pink Floyd, were the opening for the brazen "Liquor Store"-- possibly the Uncle Lucius Anthem.  I've heard this song live three times, and each time was about 15-20 minutes long-- including today.  It's a musical journey, that trip to the liquor store, and it flexes the band's different muscles throughout as they explore the territory of making music outside of the box. 

Music should never be about image, but I'll be damned if I don't mention Josh Greco's 'fro, which, according to the people behind me-- said admirably and through smiles-- is "out of control".

If the 'fro wasn't enough 1970's style for us, Uncle Lucius wrapped up their hot sauce set with The Meters' "Jungle Man", giving us one more dance number, room for some last horn solos, a chance for Greco to sing, and a stage that turned dance floor for Galloway.   And the winners of this year's hot sauce festival are....