Bobby Livingston left, Scot Gibbs
Where has the time gone? New Hampshire rock singer Bobby Livingston has now hosted six annual Bob Dylan birthday bashes to support the Brad Delp Foundation, a charitable organization that supports local school music programs. And what a bash it was. With sound man Jonny Friday from 3 A.M. Productions keeping everything running with nary a noticeable glitch, 12 acts performed exceptionally good versions of songs we all know and love. Local New Hampshire and Boston on air personality Jeff Lawrence, sporting a bright orange jacket, introduced each act with his usual understated charm on the stage at Whippersnappers in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
Eastwood Peak, a popular local band that plays original music and covers, jumped out of the gate with the peppy Beatles classic “I Feel Fine,” inspiring many in the audience to sing along. The Eastwood Peak guys also put a heft of emotion into the Animals’ “We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” especial from a gruff, hearty lead vocal. A lively treat from Eastwood Peak was The Monkees old smash hit “Last Train To Clarksville” and the warm pop rock vibe it conjured. Eastwood Peak closed out their set with Manfred Mann’s timeless sing along classic “Do Wah Diddy Diddy,” with sweet harmonies and festive drumming recreating the lively spirit of that 1960s hit.
Up next, a talented young musician named Chris Lester went it alone with his acoustic guitar, opening his set with a lovely rendition of The Beatles “Blackbird,” drawing all the sublime beauty out of that timeless wonder. Following Lester was a trio calling itself Holaday Project, featuring bassist Joe Holaday and his sons Jared on saxophone and PJ on drums. The three offered a jazzy, mellifluous instrumental take on Simon And Garfunkel’s “America” that made for an interesting interpretation. The trio next went into their instrumental version of Rush’s 1981 smash “Tom Sawyer,” with Jared Holaday’s adept, flexible saxophone work subbing for guitar, synthesizer, and vocals.
Keeping up the energy level and talent caliber in the room, keyboardist-vocalist Brian Maes took the stage to play “Eleanor Rigby” solo-keyboard style. With at least two melody lines and a low end going on at once, Maes made the audience feel it, all by his own self. Then, Maes called up guitarist Barry Goudreau, bassist Geoffrey Bates and 15 year old drummer Cameron Roo to perform the RTZ number “Till Your Love Comes Back Around,” which RTZ used to perform with the late great Brad Delp. Emotive qualities poured forth from each instrument, especially from Goudreau’s tender guitar phrase.
Charlie Farren
The looming presence of Charlie Farren strutted onto the stage and emanated charisma like few others can. Farren performed a twangy, plucky, snappy version of his original “Hold Me Down And Love Me” from his latest album, Tuesday. That tune came to three dimensional life as Farren utilized his honey smooth vocal to coat it well. Farren also reached many musical peaks singing his local hit “You Are The Only One.”
The slick, polished, and precise tribute band Beatles For Sale offered a good handful of tunes, practiced to highlight their own musicality as well as the songs they selected. They tackled The Beatles version of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got A Hold On Me” with emphasis on its sweet melody and tender harmony. Next, their magical cooing, well-timed harmonies, and brittle guitar brought “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” to vivid life. “It’s Getting Better” found the boys singing more of their fine high harmonies with their tight, adept rhythm section giving it all a knobby, bumpy push forward. Calling saxophonist Jared Holaday up to join them for a rollicking run through of “Lady Madonna” only enhanced that jaunty piano driven pop rock joy ride. “Octopus’s Garden” was as light and pleasant as could be, benefiting greatly from shifts in dynamics, bouncy nuances, and nifty nudges from the low end. Beatles For Sale closed out their impressive set with the rocker “Drive My Car.” That number was played with a tremendous ensemble feel that bopped with strength and meaningful, muscular musicianship.
Coming up to New Hampshire from Wilmington, Massachusetts, The Fischer Cats rocked the Dylan-Delp bash for the second year in a row. The Fischer Cats performed the Jimi Hendrix version of “Let The Good Time Roll” with a sturdy, thumpy groove and manic guitar phrasing. They also treated the audience to an infectious cover of The Yard birds’ “Heart Full Of Soul,” a number you never hear any cover band attempt. It featured twitchy guitar riffs and the rhythm section’s galloping thunder. In addition to handling the rumbling rhythm section work on The Who’s “Substitute,” they handled with easeful aplomb of the harmony vocals.
Fischer Cats
If that wasn’t impressive enough, The Fischer Cats closed out their hard rocking set with The Amboy Dukes’ “Journey To The Center Of Your Mind.” Jittery, neurotic guitar notes turned into some adventurous, compelling, even hypnotic phrasing before the singer finessed the psychedelic lyrics about “the land inside of your mind.”
After a brief thank you to the crowd from The Brad Delp Foundation’s Meg Sullivan, Jeff Lawrence introduced the next performer. It was Woody Geissmann, formerly of The Del Fuegos, a Boston band that rose to national recognition back in the 1980s. Geissmann and his friends played a few feisty rocking numbers. This included “Pushing Too Hard,” a garage rock number marked by smoky organs, Geissmann’s whiskey soaked voice and Barry Goudreau‘s bold, bossy guitar phrasing. Goudreau, too, has had tastes of fame. After a seven to eight year stint in a national band out of Boston, he went on to write and record more interesting music on his own.
A new project out of New Hampshire called Famous Jane proved their mettle with their full length CD’s title track, “New Persuasion.” A mellow groove and rustic guitar charm made the perfect platform for Kim Riley’s larger than life rock star vocals to cruise over. She made it seem easy, bringing to life these epic, lyrical tunes. Hank Decken, who composed the Famous Jane material and who produced it in his Rochester recording studio, played brisk guitar phrases, ones filled with gritty, tonal fiber. Their other Famous Jane songs were also Jack Daniels smooth. Decken too finessed his vocal lines with authority and self-restraint. “Rain On Me” was quite notable for its nuanced guitar work and extra texture from Tom Davis’s five string bass.
During the next break, host Jeff Lawrence exercised his auctioneer skills by auctioning off an acrylic Bob Dylan portrait drawn by local artist Teri Moores. It went for $1,100 to the highest bidder, Steve Phaneuf, local business owner and patron of the local music scene.
Julie Foster, Bob Jennings
Next up was an all star band lead by Bob Jennings, featuring Julie Foster on co-lead vocals. Jenning’s crying, emotive slide guitar worked wonders on Paul McCartney And Wings “Band On The Run.” Their pronounced pop sensibility on “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” played with joyful vocal harmonies and an organ that layered it with melodic fun, was a true crowd pleaser. Julie Foster shined on Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” with a polished, professional delivery that quieted down most of the room.
The man who organized the event, Bobby Livingston, came on last with his Bobby Livingston Band for the grand finale. Beginning the countdown with The Doors’ “Soul Kitchen,” Livingston howled the lyrics in a style Jim Morrison would’ve likely appreciated. Keyboardist Steve Baker was pressing out those haunted, late 1960s organ notes like nobody’s business before guitarist Scot Gibbs put his three cents in with some crunchy, stinging lead licks.
Guest singer Colene Walters, a highly impressive dandy of a vocalist, took over for Livingston to wow the crowd with her huge voice delivery. “End Of The World,” “Downtown,” and an eventual duet with Gardner Berry on Sonny And Cher’s “I’ve Got You Babe” left no doubt she has a one in a million voice. Walters sang with a commanding lead vocal, riding her melody lines with emotive force and brightness. The audience was fortunate to have her there participating in the Bob Dylan Birthday Bash.
The local scene’s Gardner Berry held his own against Walters during their duet, each using their rich timbres to bring out the charming, romantic character of that song. Berry also nailed the low timbre/high baritone mournfulness of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” as well as the doomed late 60s vibe of “Eve Of Destruction,” which he initially began acapella.
Livingston, Riley, Walters, and Gibbs were soon back in control of the stage, singing the unwieldy Dylan groundbreaker “Like A Rolling Stone.” As a special treat, Mr. Nick showed up out of nowhere to blow harp, offering another unfurling melody line among the busy interpretation. Livingston and his gang closed out with Dylan’s “From A Buick 66” from the Highway 61 Revisited album, another number with multiple singers and Mr. Nick blowing hearty harmonica notes that kept this tune filled with bluesy soul.
Colene Walters, Gardner Berry
It was another huge event for the local Bob Dylan’s birthday and the Brad Delp Foundation. Not only did the combination of acts provide high entertainment value and impressive musicianship, the event raised over $4,000. 00 for the foundation. This annual Bob Dylan birthday bash is one of the few annual area music events where we can see all of these talented New Hampshire and greater-Boston bands play in one night. Everyone in attendance may well have been already looking forward to next year’s shindig.
Editor’s Note: In a bit of confusion, the event was subtitled “Barndance,” a likely marketing faux pas, as there was no square dancing or any straw strewn about the stage to indicate a barn dance. Nobody’s perfect. Not even Bobby Livingston. After all the work he did, we can give him a pass for this, a man who once named his band after a line in a Bob Dylan song then got frustrated when the public assumed it was a Bob Dylan tribute band. He said that certain music journalists were to blame for the misinterpretation, but we in the press spanked him right back. Hard. –B.C.
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