Sonic Stew and The Reality Turn Crowbar into a Big Dance Party
Sonic Stew and The Reality paired up for a dynamite evening of music, dancing, and fun at Crowbar in Ybor City (Tampa) on Saturday, August 4th. Each band played a knockout set, with Blassafrass spinning vinyl before the show, between sets, and afterward. This was the second show presented by Bungalow Entertainment, and it was a blast!
The Reality are four young men from Tampa not quite right in the head. We don’t know that for a fact, but based on their music and their stage antics it seems obvious. They played a great set with original music from their three albums. Opening with “Scooch on Over,” they next unveiled a band new tune, “Wanna See You Dance.” Caleb Bone’s magnificent vocal really soared on “Set Her Free.”
The band invited Josh Haley to sit in for five songs. Haley has been a frequent guest with the band, and his addition allows frontman Dan Jones to switch from guitar to trombone even more easily than he usually does. This portion of the show included two real gems: “All My Time” and “Sweet Tooth.” Bone on bass and Brian BA Jones on drums make a fabulous rhythm section for all of the band’s music. And Bone’s voice was stratospheric again on “Sweet Tooth.”
Dan Jones has really upped his guitar game, which was always very good, but he was slamming solos and funking things up with that James Brown guitar. And then there is Josh Kim, the NKOTB who plays keyboards. His playing, especially on synths, is awesome, but frankly his keyboard skills pale in comparison to his facial expressions. This young man is having fun!
It’s always a kick when Dan Jones calls Sara ‘Mama Bone’ Phillips on stage from some “double-boner action” (not my words!), and that was certainly true on “Pineapple Salsa,” the two of them trading solos and then playing together on trombones. They invited Dennis Stadelman, leader of Sonic Stew, to add his guitar to “Really Don’t Care,” and he crushed his solo. No doubt. The band thrilled the enthusiast crowd with one last tune, the funk-loaded “Dancin’ in D.”
Blassafrass had his vinyl turntables set up inside, to the left of the stage, and entertained the crowd before The Reality kicked off, during set break, and at the end of the evening. He was spinning some dub and other funk, with lots of heads nodding.
Dennis Stadelman, guitarist and vocalist for CopE, has been retooling and reworking his solo project Sonic Stew for several years. It would seem he has mixed the right formula with the current lineup, as the band opened with the most powerful tune I’ve heard from this collective. Titled “Lose My Shoes,” this was a funk romp start to finish, in part thanks to another amazing rhythm section: Sean Hartley on bass and Brad Elliott (also formerly CopE) on drums. Nook rapped, Justin Davis was on banjo, and Mama Bone sat in.
There was a quick Happy Birthday crooning to somebody, after which they dialed it back a bit for “Heal,” Mama Bone staying on stage for one more tune. Davis switched to mandolin for “Don’t Forget;” he is a really versatile player, as are Stadelman and Hartley. Stadelman’s reboot of “Don’t Let Me Down” was very interesting, with a rap from Nook and outstanding drumming from Elliott.
An as-yet unnamed new instrumental spilled out next, with powerful banjo in the lead, really smokin’. Davis switched over to guitar and tore up “Sweet Leaf” to everyone’s delight. Their twin guitar intro to “Reality” was superb. Then it was a romp through “Call Me Al,” everyone singing along. Did Sean Hartley absolutely nail that cool little bass lick? You know he did!
They closed the set with “Finally Find the Truth,” a really good original. No way the crowd was letting them off that easily! ONE MORE SONG! Stadelman called up Dan Jones and Derrick McDonald, vocalist for The Sunsetters. What followed was a brilliant version of Stevie’s “I Wish” with McDonald’s magical vocals in the lead. He was magnificent. Everybody rocked that out, and everyone was singing along!
It was a glorious ending to a wonderful evening of music and friendship. Well done, Bungalow Entertainment!
[THE REALITY: Scooch on Over, Wanna See You Dance, Set Her Free, Sirens (w/ Deserve the Lovin’ tease), Fat Fanny Pack, All My Time, Sweet Tooth, End is Near, She’s Too High, Back Pocket, Perfect People, Pineapple Salsa, Really Don’t Care, Julia, Dancin’ in D]
[SONIC STEW: Lose My Shoes, Heal, Don’t Forget, Don’t Let Me Down (reboot), New Instrumental (no title yet), Sweet Leaf, Reality, Call Me Al, Finally Find the Truth; E: I Wish]