Rock and roll was alive and well (at least the music itself) on Thursday night, as Nashville's JEFF the Brotherhood rolled into the Studio at Warehouse Live. Despite a crowd that was small enough to fill Section 438 at Houston's Minute Maid Park (trust me and take a look at the map), JEFF the Brotherhood and their two opening acts were on a mission to melt the faces off anyone in attendance with great guitar riffs and supreme energy.
Kicking off the night was Austin's Otis the Destroyer. The guys in the band were standing by an empty merchandise table and when their cue hit, they jumped right on stage and started playing. When they started playing, there was approximately 12 people by the stage, watching. However, these guys rocked out like they were playing in front of 1200 folks. The sound and energy these guys brought to that small stage must have turned some heads of the early people in attendance waiting for country darling Kacey Musgraves to start next door in Main Ballroom. By the end of their set, those 12 or so people seemed hooked and thankful for a cool group like Otis the Destroyer to get the night started. (Set ran approximately 25 minutes)
Next on the bill was a three piece group from Nashville, making their first stop in Houston, simply named Music Band. At this point in the evening, the crowd had grown, but not by much. Unfortunately, Music Band’s start was delayed due to sound issues. With their time cut short, noticeable (and understandable) frustration set in, and the screams emanating from a seemingly full Ballroom next door, Music Band proceeded with a very stellar and very loud set. This is a solid band with a great sound, which will hopefully return to Houston to perform a more complete set, minus sound hiccups. (Set ran approximately 15 minutes)
Closing out the night was JEFF the Brotherhood (!). The band features Nashville brothers Jake (guitar) and Jamin Orrall (drums), with another guitarist and a bassist backing them up. These guys have been making music for over ten years, and it definitely showed. With a sound that is heavily influenced by hard rock of the 70s and 80s, JEFF the Brotherhood armed themselves with a set list that was designed to annihilate every single eardrum in attendance (Case in point: my eardrums were still ringing up until Sunday evening). For about an hour, JTB played with an intensity that a much larger audience should have been on hand to appreciate, though only about 40 people total were quickly estimated by the end of the night. Those in attendance, however, were more than receptive and appreciative of the effort put forth by the band. There were plenty of jams JEFF the Brotherhood played on Thursday night, with Heavy Krishna (off of their 2009 album “Heavy Days”) being a standout jam that seemingly went on with no end in sight. While I was slightly disappointed they did not play one particular song, one guy had to have been more disappointed considering he kept anxiously shouting for that same song towards the end of the night (“F*****g play Heavy Days, F*****g play Heavy Days!”). However, their set was still incredible and had me rocking from start to finish. The band seemed to pick up the intensity as several dudes started moshing and throwing each other around, resulting in beer flying all over and me getting kicked in the ear (which was also my cue to take a couple of steps to the left as I’m not much of a mosher). The guys capped off the night with a track from last year’s “Hypnotic Knights”, Staring at the Wall (the band also performed this tune last year while appearing on “Conan”) which was a great way finish based on the reception it received by the audience.
All in all, it was a great night for rock and roll, no matter how small the attendance. As a big fan of JEFF the Brotherhood, I always hope for a large crowd. Hopefully the next time they roll into town word will have finally spread and we’ll see a few new faces on hand. If not, at least the small band of people who showed up Thursday night will be back, eager to rock on with them Orrall boys from Nashville.
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