Just last night, The Beloved Few gave the crowd at Whippersnappers three hours of their sophisticated renderings of pop rock classics. The duo had returned within recent months to the popular Londonderry, New Hampshire nightspot since they disbanded their unit nine years ago. Yesterday evening’s show might have been the best since they reformed.
The Beloved Few, for those of you new to the greater-Boston music scene, are Michael Troy on Keyboards and vocals and David Stefanelli on electrified acoustic guitar and vocals. Troy can perform a wide variety of melodies and special effects on his keyboards which includes, piano, electric piano, organ, and synthesizer. Stefanelli plays an acoustic guitar through a distortion pedal and other effects which makes his guitar sound weirdly electric, or electric in a weird sort of way.
The duo opened with Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s odd classic rock hit “In The Beginning.” Stefanelli got a huge acoustic guitar sound out of his equipment, and he nailed the picking style from the original recording. It sounded almost as if he was playing more than just one guitar. Troy, meanwhile, captured the essence of Keith Emerson’s peculiar early 1970s moog melodies. Troy brought his voice into careful precision with this tune.
The Youngbloods’ 1960s classic “Get Together” found the duo singing in beautiful and perfect harmony. Stefanelli’s advanced picking techniques, fed through a processor, recreated that song’s familiar melody. The boys went into Cat Steven’s “Wild World” as Troys voice wrapped itself around the words with a warm embrace.
Troy also found the spirit of Bad Company’s “Silver, Blue, and Gold” with his pristine vocal timbre. Stefanelli’s guitar work on this Bad Co. number was also over the top. You just don’t hear most cover bands reaching the same heights as Stefanelli when he pulled off all of those guitar sustains. Stefanelli went to town on The Moody Blues’s classic “I’m Just A Singer(In A Rock And Roll Band). He got to play his uptempo guitar stylings, driving the song forward. He kept his guitar sounding fuzzy and distorted while Troy matched his ingenuity with a whole host of sounds from his equipment and keyboard wizardry.
Troy’s voice ranged out beautifully on Billy Joe’s “Say Goodbye To Hollywood,” bringing in Joel’s handsome vocal approach, a lot of charm concealing the musical training that went into those 1970s hits. Troy also shined on Beloved Few’s original material, like “Change Partners.”
Gardner Berry, who frequently plays Whippersnappers with Mama Kicks, Four Sticks, Bongo Fury, and Gardner solo as well as hosting their Monday Night Jam, took over Troy’s job for a bit. Berry sang and played an electric piano version of Led Zeppelin’s “Going To California.” (As much as the locals love Berry, it’s probably time for the booking agent to bring some fresh faces into the room!)
Troy’s voice fit Elton John’s “Daniel” like a warm winter glove and when Stefanelli came in with a harmony line, it was a treat for the ears. Their vocal blend is silky smooth. The Beloved Few original “Nobody’s Girl” came off with a breezy pace that probably reminded their roomful of fans of their 2000 CD release simply titled The Beloved Few. “Nobody’s Girl” had all the pop music hooks a pop music fan could ask for.
The Beloved Few successfully developed the melodrama of Carol King’s “It’s Too Late.” Troy had the power to bring King’s song to life in the Londonderry diner. His croon can build that arc in a song just before he travels back down the other side to smoothly finish up. Stefanelli’s brought out that wide, majestic feel of it with his guitar picking style.
The Beloved Few had a magical quality when piano and guitar worked in perfect sync during their instrumental portions. Stefanelli pulled rich, thick notes out of his axe and Troy was a true maestro, his elegant piano tinkling and his pop balladeer vocal carrying forward with tremendous range. These guys are larger than life when they perform, with everything sounding perfect and layered.
Troy’s influences are a little more clearly defined than Stefanelli,s probably because Stefanelli is a multi-instrumentalist and likely carries a set of influences on each instrument he plays. You can hear Elton John influences in how Troy approaches a song, yet he never settles for imitation. He jumped into John’s “Harmony” with a suave gravitas and he made it his own, just as he did with Paul Simon’s “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard.”
Steeler’s Wheel “Stuck In The Middle” has long been a fun, sing along staple for The Beloved Few, and last night’s show was no exception. The current generation probably associates it with the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs. An abducted police officer get tossed from one gangster to another as they take turns beating him to the Steeler’s Wheel tune.
The Beloved Few finished up with David Bowie’s “Space Odyssey” in which they incorporated Elton John’s “Rocket Man” before they segue back into the Bowie classic. Stefanelli ripped it up on guitar while Troy juxtaposed it with balladry piano tinkling. Troy also recreated the unearthly Bowie sounds on his equipment.
The Beloved Few are sophisticated musicians who make a lot of sound for only two guys. The Sunday nightWhippersnappers show, though only three hours long, was a fine display of their numerous talents.
Dear GOD Bill, Will you Marry me?
You go Troy Boy!!!!
I looked your band up I was sitting here thinking of you both and the the way you sounded and play together i can’t believe that you stopped being together for 9 yrs ,how long did you play together then ? A friend of mine as you know Laura (who works with your sis Michael) had me listen to your music i was there the day there speaking of the two of you,I wish you played Londonderry more often I think you both rock love your voices and the way each of you feel the music.It’s really enjoyable to just sit sing along and to listen. Hope to see you soon. Always the Best.
~Beverly