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Concert Fri Jul 02 2010
Review: Hacienda, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears @ Lincoln Hall, 6/30
[The following review was submitted by reader Kris Bass. Photos are by Transmission staffer Andy Keil.]
Hacienda (photos by Andy Keil)
Tuesday night, Lincoln Hall offered up a double helping of Texas hospitality served the right way. San Antonio's Hacienda got things started with a physical set that was equal parts blues, country, and hard rock. With cowboy boots and button-downs, each member looked the part of a Texas rancher, all while their own on the stage. Immediately, their heavy, southern rubber-band jam style resonated with the crowd. One highlight was an impromptu cover of "Wooly Bully," with keyboardist Abraham Villanueva on his feet pounding at the keys and taking over lead vocals to rile up the crowd. But, the band was at their best when they were the loudest. Each song breaks down somewhere in the middle into heavy jam sessions, with each member taking command of their instrument and the space around them. It was best exemplified in the final song of the set, a sprawling, raucous jam that showcased their heated style of country blues.
Hacienda keyboardist Abraham Villanueva
With the crowd geared up, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears hit the stage with some serious energy. They're a seven-piece blues band complete with a trumpet and two saxophones, but it was Lewis who clearly owned the show. Slim, wiry, and explosive, he's a Dave Chappelle look-alike who conjures James Brown.
Black Joe Lewis
From the beginning they put on a show. The Black 6, a 1970's motorcycle movie, played in its entirety on the black curtains behind them as they took the stage, sounding off with horns, brass, and unbridled guitar. The performance was a mix of both fast and slow jams, guitar solos and horn explosions. Lewis kept the flame burning combining blues, funk, and soul along with his unique howl and spanking guitar. He gave respect to his elders, as well as Chicago, with heavy, elongated covers of Hound Dog Taylor and Howlin' Wolf.
The set gained steady momentum throughout the night, and the crowd danced up a storm. At one point during a drawn out jam the entire audience got low to the ground (a la Isley Brothers' "Shout") following the band's lead. Afterwards, Lewis laughed, "I don't know if that's ever happened before." Judging by the Honeybears' commanding stage presence and the crowd's reaction, that's pretty hard to believe.
-Kris Bass
