Damnnnnnn....Whiteboy's Got Skills!

Alright, so to continue my saga to discover different bands around the D continued this weekend with The Dan Rafferty Band. Now I must say, unlike the last band I saw, I had heard tons of good things about the DRB, so my expectations were very high.


Let me say.....They definitely did NOT disappoint!


The DRB are a group of all guys and 1 girl who play tons of songs across every genre you can think of. Between the talent of the members of the group and the energy that they exude, its nearly impossible to have a bad time while watching them.


However, I must say my favorite part of the night was when they did "I Love the Way You Move" by Outkast. Why, you ask? Well, thats because Dan Rafferty himself did one of the rap verses to the song. Why is that a big deal? Well that would be because Dan is in his 60's! Now I know what people might be thinking. When we see older people rapping our first inclination is to say something like "ohhhhh, that's so cute", just like if you were to see a puppy trying to use a skateboard or a baby using an Ipad. However, this was not what people were saying. If anything I would say it was more like this:


DAMMMMMNNNNNN.....White boy's got some skills!


He not only rapped it, but made it sound good. So good in fact that if you were not looking at him, you probably wouldn't have even known it was him doing it.


Probably the only negative aspect of the night that I had was that they did almost all rock music in their first set. While I like rock music, I like when groups switch it up a little more and keep people guessing. However, I'm guessing the fact that they were in White Lake, MI at Billy's Tip N' Inn might have had something to do with the song selection.


Also, since we are highlighting some of the talent in the group, I just need to say that the saxophone player was unbelievably talented. I have grown up around music, specifically instrumental music my entire life, and he is one of the most musically talented people I have ever had the opportunity to see live. The only way to truly do this group justice is to go out and see them!


I don't know what else I can say about the group besides that they were one of, if not the best band I have seen in the D thus far. With that being said, heres the ratings for the performance:


Music:  *****
Performance:   *****
Talent:   *****
Entertainment Value:   ****


So, if you are looking to go out with some friends and have a guaranteed good time, then I recommend going and seeing the Dan Rafferty Band. They also take requests, so if you don't hear your favorite song, odds are that they know it and would be more than happy to play it for you. They also do weddings and other events, so whatever the venue, I think they would definitely be the band to call!


And always remember.....Squatters have rights too.


OVER AND OUT!

Did Hootie and the Blowfish reunite?!

Alright, so last night I was at the Hamlin Pub in Rochester, MI so that I could go see the Dave Hamilton Band. Now, this was the first time I had ever heard of this group so I decided to go literally knowing nothing about the group.

I mean, for all I knew they could have been a mariachi band!

Luckily......they weren't.

However, I was pleasantly surprised for the most part. For those of you, who like me had never heard of the group before, I would sum them up as a mellow coffee shop type of band. While, generally I'm not thrilled to go see these types of groups in a bar setting, for some reason it worked for them. The crowd at the bar wasn't looking to sit down and watch a band perform.  They wanted some good music to be playing in the background of their conversations, and that's what the Dave Hamilton Band provided.

Their style and sound are very similar to that of Hootie and the Blowfish. It was actually slightly bizarre how similar the lead singer sounded like Darius Rucker. As for the music played, they played a little bit of Hootie (probably to make the cynical people like me happy) along with some other 90's rock with some country tossed in every now and then. The best way I can sum them up stylistically would be to say this:

If you were listening to the Matchbox 20 station on Pandora, you might hear them.

One of the only things that annoyed me about the set that I heard is that it wasn't really fun. Now, let me explain that remark, before I get hate letters from the Dave Hamilton Band's fans. I was looking to get out and let loose a little bit. I wanted to hear some more songs that EVERYONE knows, ya know?

So, to sum it up, if you want to sit at your table with a nice Bud Light draft, or a nice glass of Pinot, and have a conversation with some friends and hear some good music while you do it, then this is the group for you. If you are looking to watch a good show, and get up and dance with some of your friends, then I would recommend you go elsewhere!

Music:  ****
Performance:   ***
Talent:   ****
Entertainment Value:   **


Also, for all of you Foursquare users, for checking in for the first time at the Hamlin Pub, you receive 15% off of your entire bar tab. That one DEFINITELY came in handy!

And remember, If you're happy and you know it, go ahead and clap your hands.......unless you're in an elevator with a complete stranger, that just might make for one awkward ride.

Over and out!

What's this about anyway?

Have you ever gone to see a local band here in Detroit because a friend of yours suggested it, or because you read on a flyer that they were supposed to be good? Well, if you are anything like me, then you've had that situation happen to you more than once. Sometimes you go and are pleasantly surprised at how well a band did, while others you wish you'd stayed home and done just about anything else. The purpose of this blog is to take out some of the guessing about the band, and hopefully help you have a better night out, with some quality entertainment.

While, I'm sure for some, just the fact that I said I'm willing to do these reviews would be enough for you to read them and take my opinion to heart. However, I'm quite sure there are some who are going to say "What makes you so qualified, why should I listen to your opinion?" A very valid question indeed. So to please the pessimists in the audience, I will give you a little bit of a background about myself.

I've been involved in performing in different bands, choirs, and musical groups for the last 15 years. I've played the drums for about 10 years, and have been singing for about 8 years. I received a vocal music scholarship from Central Michigan University, where I was involved in a few different musical groups, ranging from acappella music to pop and rock music. More recently I've been involved vocally in a group that performs music from many genres across the board, performing all across the state of Michigan.

Hopefully that gives a pretty good representation of what perspectives I will be bringing to my reviews. However the most important thing to keep in mind about my blog is that it is my opinion. You may disagree with the reviews that I post, or you may have a different perspective to share. This is completely acceptable, and I highly encourage different opinions and perspectives, however I ask that all responses and comments are done so respectfully.

If you hear of an upcoming event or band and you are curious about it, please feel free to share it and I would be more than happy to check them out, if I'm available. So let the show BEGIN!

*Image borrowed from Swagbucks