“A lot of people say we’re a shitty Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. We’re here to prove that we’re just … shitty.”
That’s how Joe Lewis (who goes by the stage name Black Joe Lewis) described himself and his band, The Honeybears, Friday and for 75 minutes at the Neptune being shitty never sounded so good.
The Austin, Texas septet and its brand of boogie rock did something very few bands can do: they made a Seattle crowd dance. Lewis’ funky southern drawl combined with the Honeybears’ punchy brass section and throwback bluesy R&B kept the groove going throughout their set, making it near impossible to not get down at some point during the concert.
The band’s older songs like “I’m Broke,” “Bobby Boucher” and others fit well alongside newer songs like “Livin’ In The Jungle,” and the hilarious “Mustang Ranch,” a song that will make you think differntly about glazed ham. Each song was delivered with a little bit of jamming, a little bit of swagger and a whole lot of rock ‘n’ roll attitude by Black Joe Lewis and his band.
There were a few minor flaws in the band’s set. The sound was a slightly muffled during the show which made it a bit tough to discren lyrics. The Neptune is one of the best sounding rooms in town which made the sound issues stand out even more than they would at another venue. Another small, but noticable, issue was the absence of an organist. The Honeybears used to feature an organist which added depth and a bit of style to their sound. However, the punchy three-piece horn section and the dual guitars of Lewis and Zach Earnst, who almost outshined Black Joe, provided more than enough aural action to make up for the loss.
Canadian band The Sheepdogs opened with a brief 40 minute set. The band, which won their way onto the cover of Rolling Stone, wasn’t particularly engaging in the stage presence department. But what they lacked in charisma they made up for with their ability to jam.
