Vacaville Represents at Sac IBC
Northern California Blues Festival
Bodega Seafood, Art & Wine Festival - 8/23/08
B.B. is still the King of the Blues
Nitecry SF Blues excellence
Sometimes, somehow, I tend to forget about bands that I haven't seen in awhile, or at least they get pushed to the rear of my memory, which seems to have limited space as I get older. Sad, but so true! Then I catch a show and it all floods back; it's amazing really. Well, such is the case for Nitecry. I haven't heard these guys in a couple years and must ask myself, why not? This is a hot band, packed with rich, blues talent and the way they combine on stage is remarkable. The blues girl and I saw a couple of their performance at the Sac Jazz Jubilee and they are now back on my 'A' memory list.
Nitecry is a band from San Francisco, though founder and lead guitarist Rene Solis actually came out of the San Jose area jams scene. Rene is a fabulous guitarist and lets you feel the excitement and energy as he plays. When Rene decided to form a group full of talented musicians to hit the circuit he had to look no further than Richard Palmer, a seasoned keyboard talent and prolific songwriter. Richard is an extremely talented guy and he adds much to the stage scene. Things just got better as they went along, adding Johnny Yu on bass and vocals. Johnny was a veteran SF club musician in his own right bringing lots of experience to the band. When they finally settled on a lead vocalist, Steve Siacotos found himself front and center and leading the pack on this incredible journey. Steve is a great front man that unleashes tons of energy and excitement on stage. The best thing I can say is that Steve is just plain fun to watch. Add Michael Jiggets on drums and the incredible horn section of Chris Marquis on trumpet and the latest edition, Danny Sandoval on sax and you have a deeply talented bunch of characters. I feel I'm doing Nitecry a disservice by just saying 'horn section', as these dudes are awesome, amazing talents and add such a rich sound to the band. Rarely does a seven-piece band have so much individual talent but these guys really do fit together well.
The band played a vast array of mostly original music, which is a great break from a lot of groups that play mostly covers. Not that I mind listening to all the blues standards out there, it's just that it is refreshing to not just hear original music, but excellent original music. These guys have it wired. They cruise through many tunes from their albums 'Run for Cover' and 'Too Cool to be Blue' as well as some very nice new pieces from their latest album �Back in Town�, all the while putting on a show that will have you dancing in the isles. Some of my favorites were, 'When I'm Drinkin', 'That's What the Blues are For', and 'Stratoblaster'. The bands stage energy and the way they interact and engage each other makes for one of the best bands around, and there are plenty out there. I guarantee that if you want a fun night out, to listen, watch and dancing to a great blues band, find a Nitecry show, you won't be disappointed.
"Keep your eyes and ears open, the Blues are alive in northern California!"
Mr. December at Constable Jack's - 5/9/08
Cole Fonseca at the Torch Club - 3/28/08
Blues Blowout at Cache Creek - 2/1/08
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