REVIEW: Blues Traveler, Los Colognes 01/26 @ House of Blues
After a blast of Southern rock from Nashville-based opener Los Colognes, Blues Traveler made their way onto the stage at House of Blues as a high-energy walk-on song played in the background, kicking off the second leg of their 30th anniversary tour. Clad in his characteristic black hat, front man/harmonica virtuoso John Popper led the group in the instrumental jam “Mountain Cry,” featuring fantastic slap technique from bassist Tad Kinchla, before leading into an extended version of their tune “But Anyway.” Although I was initially skeptical of how well the group would improvise, each band member churned out impressive and energetic solos throughout the night, even going so far as to step offstage during others’ solos as in the jazz tradition. Beyond their individual talents, the band was also tight as a unit. After so many years of playing together, the band has a great sense of each other’s playing that allowed them to take their blues-infused pop songs in unexpected directions.
As impressive as his band mates were, Popper was by far the star of the show. He continually showcased his mastery of the harmonica, playing solos full of slick sixteenth-note lines and effectual tricks that cleverly integrated familiar hooks while building to a musical climax. In this way he captivated me with each of his more than a dozen solos over the course of the show, which is not always the case with improvised music. In addition to harmonica, Popper is a talented vocalist and songwriter. While there were moments when he rasped to the edge of his range, most of his singing sounded as clear and powerful as it does on records from decades ago. A particular example was the ballad “Ode from the Aspect” from the upcoming record “Hurry Up and Hang Around,” which found Popper’s vocals accompanied only by keyboardist Ben Wilson. Popper claimed that the ballad was written “for the audience” and indeed he proved himself a musician in love with his fans, pausing often to remind them how awesome they were and to tip the wait staff.
The rest of the set featured early hits including “Runaround” and “Carolina Blues,” which brought up the lead guitarist of Los Colognes for a fiery bout of call and response with Popper’s harmonica. These were interspersed by “All Fall Down” and “She Becomes My Way” off of the new record, as well as a blazing rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” complete with Popper’s harmonica in place of a fiddle and infused with a disco offbeat. They closed the set with a lengthy, driving solo from drummer Brendan Hill before giving way to “Hook,” in which Popper relinquished a chorus to the singing audience.
They returned for the encore (joking, “I don’t know why you’re so excited, of course we’re back”) to cover ZZ Top’s “La Grange” featuring Ben Wilson on vocals and keys, before closing with the new, synth-heavy “Wolf is Bumpin’.” For this, Wilson pulled out a keytar which he proceeded to lob across the stage into the arms of a stagehand. Before making their exit, the others followed Wilson’s example, sending picks, drums sticks, and harmonicas into the audience as souvenirs.
As they made their way off the stage, stooping to shake hands with cheering audience members, it felt like the band was crossing a milestone rather than a finish line. Thirty years is a long time to perform as a band, and in that time Blues Traveler has crafted an outfit that allows them to maintain their signature sound while putting out records and playing shows that are still dynamic and energizing. That is an impressive achievement for a band, and based on their performance, I would guess Blues Traveler won’t be letting it go unheard anytime soon.
-Chris Bunting