BOCA RATON! JUPITER! Prepare Thyselves for Space Kadet and Vibe & Direct!
“So, what had happened was…”
Usually, nothing positive ever appears after that introduction. Fortunately, last night was one of those exceptions.
Somehow, I missed the notice that Space Kadet would be at the Dunedin Brewery Thursday night until late in the afternoon. We made a last-minute decision to go, arriving a bit late.
The Atlanta trio was killing it for a sparse crowd. In the moment, it was exactly what I needed. Alex Etheridge was playing bass and keyboards and handling production. Rohan Prakash was at the drum kit, while Thomas Garret was on guitar. This was a jamtronic, head-bobbing, “HELL YEAH” kind of a set, and we were having a time.
Etheridge did a great job managing his three responsibilities, especially the bass part. Prakash kept the ship righted and on course with his spot-on performance. It was Garret who was truly captivating, great torrents of notes spilling from the frets, taking us on a magic carpet ride.
When drummer Prakash said, “We’ve got time for a couple more,” I thought he was kidding. He was not. I had missed entirely that there was another band on the bill closing out the night. I was disappointed not to have heard the entire Space Kadet set but delighted that we got to hear them at all.
Speaking to Etheridge during the break, he told us that the previous night was the first of the two bands’ five-day run, and he noted, “They’re a lot like us. We’re heavier; they’re jazzier.”
He was absolutely correct.
Vibe & Direct are a trio out of Cleveland, with Danny Giannetto on drums, Mike Miller on guitar, and Seth Boyle on bass. Initially, they reminded me of the original Lotus (Germination, Nomad). Their range was vast. There were times when Miller was channeling early George Benson, and the group really nailed that great fusion sound that was born in the ’70s, also recalling the work of Ronny Jordan and others.
Whereas Prakash was a dynamite jamtronic-style drummer, Giannetto was definitely more jazz-influenced. His touch on the cymbals was deluxe. And Boyle was a monster on bass. There were some great occasions where he and Miller were in perfect sync.
All too soon, their set ended. We’ll chalk this up as a great victory, despite out late arrival: another fine set from Space Kadet and a “new” group to add to our list of must-hear bands: Vibe & Direct.
The two bands have two more dates together:
05/11 The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery | Boca Raton FL
05/12 Guanabanas Island Restaurant and Bar | Jupiter FL
So GET OFF YOUR A$$ and JAM already, BOCA and JUPITER!
Vibe & Direct
05/14 Aisle 5 | Atlanta GA
05/17 The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall | Asheville NC
05/18 The Pour House Music Hall | Raleigh NC
05/19 Domefest | Fort Royale Farm | Bedford PA
And two shows with fellow Clevelanders Broccoli Samurai in June:
06/29 Woodlands Tavern | Columbus OH
06/30 Buffalo Iron Works | Buffalo NY
