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Live reviews
Monday 4th June. 100 Club, London. Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed with the High and Mighty brass band. It’s been ten years since I first saw Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed and have seen him several times over the years in all sorts of venues with all sorts of configurations, with brass, without, etc.
On the back of a recent record store day release Reed has teamed up with fellow Brooklynites the High and Mighty Brass band, a collective of musicians obviously schooled in the finest of first line New Orleans tradition but with added New York swag.
First up though is local boy Marcus Bonfanti who I saw on this very stage a year or so back headlining himself. Tonight he provides the blues in RnB with some great licks and stories about women, food and drink. The audience quickly warm to him and it’s a tight short set to gets us in the mood.
Back to the main act. The seven piece band, two trumpets, two saxophones, a sousaphone, drummer and percussionist take to the stage and run through a couple of instrumentals to get the party started and then do a great version of Portugal, the Man’s current hit ‘Feel it Still’ before the arrival of the main man himself
It’s a slow step up on stage for Eli whose leg is in a full plastic cast, as a result, we later find out, of jumping off stage in Madrid and dislocating his knee. However, what he lacks in movement he makes up for in his easy going charm and obvious enthusiasm for just playing music. Reed has such a unique voice hitting notes so high pigeons at Trafalgar Square had to swerve them. But there’s subtlety too and that is one of his strengths with such a great range.
It’s a great relaxed vibe tonight with the band playing fast and loose giving some of these early Reed songs a kick up the ass renewing the energy of these tracks. Every member of the band gets a chance to shine and shine they do.
Their enthusiasm is infectious and while the crowd are not break dancing, we are happy nodding, clapping, singing, hollering back and shuffling along. At one point Eli did get the whole of the 100 club to crouch down on their knees before springing up. No mean feat for some older members of the crowd.
Easy highlights for me are two of my favourite tracks ‘Name Calling’ and ‘Take my love with you’ After the first encore the band shuffle off to a New Orleans funeral march before walking back through the crowd and performing a gospel medley right in the middle of us.
Reed and the band were on top form tonight and arguably the best I have ever seen him.
Keep on gospel southern soul, rockin, blues, NYC shakin y’all
garyw66
Tuesday 11th June, Dingwalls, London, Eli Paperboy Reed. It’s a much more mobile ‘Paperboy’ tonight since when we last met a year ago after he had recently suffered a dislocated knee. He’s a busy boy tonight as he joins support act Big Joe Louis for a couple of tracks on harmonica and backing vocals and the relaxed nature of the show tonight provides Big Joe with a longer set than most opening acts are often afforded.
We have been with Eli since the start first seeing him eleven years ago and this will be our sixth time in six different London venues and with probably six different line-ups and configurations with and without horns, with brass and without. The constant though is Eli’s enthusiasm, musicianship and that voice. Tonight he is joined by bass, keys, two piece horn section and the happiest smiliest drummer I have ever seen crammed on the small Dingwalls stage.
Tonight is very much a career retrospective spanning the last ten years and six albums. Whilst obviously promoting his fine new album ’99 Cent Dreams’ tracks are grabbed from throughout the catalogue with a couple of covers thrown in for good measure but sadly no room for my request for his great version of ‘Ace of Spades’. Maybe next time.
It’s a breathless non-stop set tonight kicking off with a superb version of ‘Cut Ya Down’ and the Van Morrisoneque ‘Bank Robber’ from the new album. The band are ‘on it’, tight as a packet of Rizla’s and even a broken string doesn’t stop Eli and after quickly borrowing Big Joe’s SG we are back in business.
The balance of the set is perfect with the right blend of high tempo dance alongs interspersed with some time for both band and audience to draw breath on the slower numbers. You can’t help warm to Eli, always with a smile on face and he genuinely looks happy to be here which cannot always be said of some bands. This energy and enthusiasm easily transports itself across to the audience who give it back in spades.
On a night where I don’t think a foot was put wrong (no joke intended) everyone leaves in an ultimately better frame of mind than when they entered. The encore starts with a mini tribute to the recently departed Dr John and ends on singalong crowd pleaser ‘Take my love with you’.
Probably the best show I’ve seen the Paperboy perform and certainly up there as a contender for my favourite gig of the year so far.
Till the next time keep on soulful rockin y’all
garyw66
Excellent show. The Paperboy entertained the audience with his wit & charm.
A tight band opened proceedings before introducing an apologetic Eli who went on to bemoan the release of his sixth album before ripping into a non stop set of selections from those albums concentrating initially on his latest offering.
Marvellous incessant horns & bass line supported by fatback drums punctuated the set with Eli showing prowess on his guitar & musical direction from his keyboard man
All in all a marvellous evening for all that made it to Dingwalls
keith-menezes
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