Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears Played Bowery Ballroom - Pictures, Review

We were thrilled on Friday to catch up with Austin, Texas’ own Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears – who were back for two shows at Bowery Ballroom a year after they tore it up here in February 2010. This time the band’s on the road behind their new album Scandalous – which delivers more of the same retro blues and funk-inspired rock we’ve come to love from these guys.

Bowery Presents promoted the shows by Tweeting “Come shake your ass” – and that feels exactly right. If there’s another band out there on the indie rock festival circuit that will bring you into the world of big booty’d women and Mustang Ranch whore houses, with songs like “Humpin’,” “Messin’,” and “You Been Lyin’,” we’d love to know about them. There doesn’t seem to be anyone out there doing what these guys do and having as much fun doing it.

Black Joe Lewis himself brings a classic James Brown howl and a raunchy sense of humor to some great talking blues moments, but what makes these guys much more than just a gimmick are the musical skills that underlie everything they do. They just groove. With another year of shows under their belt, white dude band mates Zach Ernst (guitar) and Bill Stevenson (bass) have ratcheted up their swagger enough to share the stage comfortably with their charismatic frontman.

We dig both albums –produced Spoon’s Jim Eno, a Hippies Are Dead Hall of Famer if there ever was one – but this is the kind of band that feels like it exists to play live. If they weren’t always on the move and settled in as the house band at a boozy blues bar somewhere, we’d probably be there every weekend, whiskey in hand doing… what else? Shaking our ass.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive.

Pictures and Words By Chris Goldberg.

Black Joe Lewis And The Honeybears Played Bowery Ballroom - Pictures And Review

When we saw Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears at Austin City Limits in October, my friend described Lewis as a dude who looks like Allen Iverson and sounds like James Brown. That's not entirely wrong, but it leaves out the fact that he also rocks out pretty hard on his guitar (which BTW is covered with pictures of scantily-clad ladies.)

One of the Honeybears told me that someone recently called them a "jam band", but they won't be confused with String Cheese Incident anytime soon. Sure, there's plenty of jamming - they don't write down their set list and never play a song the same way twice - but this is straight up funk and old school blues.

Last night at Bowery Ballroom they hit many of the high points on their debut LP Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! (produced by none other than Spoon drummer Jim Eno!) including “Sugarfoot,” “I’m Broke,” and “Bobby Booshay” plus the hilariously titled “Big Black Snake. ”

They brought out their tour mates, likeable Mississippi bluesmen Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm, for a few songs in the middle of the set and finished their encore with crowd favorite “Bitch, I Love You.” It was a tough New York audience, grumpy from days of snow and slush, but it was hard not to be won over by these guys. Definitely worth catching them whenever they’re in town.

Words and Pictures by Chris Goldberg

More pictures at the HAD Archive

Spoon To Play Three Night Festival At Stubb's - SPOONX3

Picture from the HAD Archive

As Spoon continues to work on their next album, they also continue to schedule a smattering of live dates across the country. The latest entry comes in the form of a three night stand at Stubb's BBQ in Austin, TX. It's something of a "hometown" show for the band (despite Britt Daniel no longer being a resident), and as such is being billed as a festival entitled "SPOONX3".

Each show will be something of a triple bill, and supporting acts will be different each night. The support includes ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears, Low, Dale Watson, Atlas Sound, and The Strange Boys. What's more, the press release promises a taste of new material from Spoon's new record. Enticing, to say the least.

Suffice it to say, if you can make it to Austin, this is a tasty musical treat that transcends even the goodness that Spoon typically provides. What's more, presale tickets (including a discounted three day pass) are on sale now - get em while they're hot!

BONUS: We just discovered this vid on Spoon's site...tasty!

mp3: Spoon - Written In Reverse (Live At The Fillmore)