REVIEW: Cory Wong @ Paradise Rock Club 1/28
Review by Sam Trottenberg
Photos by Monica Sucic
“That’s not Cory Wong.” That’s what I said when a rushed, barely visible figure came onstage at the Paradise Rock Club. I was right, that figure wasn’t Cory Wong, it was some cat named Scott Mulvahill who picked up a stand-up bass and set a tone of musicality for the night; this was gonna be the real deal.
For those who don’t know Cory Wong, he’s a wonderful guitar player out of Minneapolis who’s been compared to the likes of Prince and Nile Rodgers. You may know him for his work with Vulfpeck, as he’s been a frequent collaborator with the band for the past few years. Cory himself has released several solo albums, the latest of which, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood, came out just a few weeks ago on January 10th. Cory’s band is just as impressive, featuring Kevin Gastonguay on keyboards, Kevin MacIntire on bass, a wonderful horn section, and the mesmerizing Petar Janjic on drums.
Scott Mulvahill’s opening set answered the age old question of can a singer-songwriter get by with just a stand-up bass? The answer is an overwhelming yes, and in a time when a lot of songwriters are starting to blend together, Scott has managed to tell his own story. As much as I loved the opening set, I couldn’t help but wonder when Cory was coming on.
It wouldn’t be long before the man himself took the stage, and he was immediately met by fanfare courtesy of the horn section, before the whole band went into a lightning fast funk groove. This was followed by the classic Cory Wong tune “Lunchtime,” along with some other great songs before the show stopper “91’ Maxima,” complete with two inflatable car dealership tubes. Then Cory was joined by the talented Phoebe Katis who had emerged from the merch table to sing “Juke on Jelly” and “Starting Line.” A low volume jam of “Companion Pass” followed which gave way to the climax of the show: Cory’s inspirational speech.
Given the motivational words that appear on the studio version of the song, I don’t think anyone was surprised to hear Cory grab the mic. He said that according to Instagram and Facebook analytics, 74% of the audience was comprised of “creatives” or those soon to be. Suddenly hateful YouTube comments appeared on the screen behind Cory as he spoke of the importance of resisting critics. This was the perfect segway into Cory’s sole vocal appearance to date: “Today I’m Gonna Get Myself a Real Job.” The set ended but the band couldn’t resist playing a two song encore which included one of my favorite moments of the night in which Cory was playing so fast that the clapping crowd could no longer keep time. Finally Cory and his band took a bow and stepped off stage.
Few modern bands can claim to be as tight and energetic as the group Cory has established. Each member of the septet had a shining moment encouraged by Cory, and that’s the beauty of Cory Wong. While Cory is a painfully impressive guitar player in his own right, his true genius lies in his ability to make those around him better. Throughout the show Cory could be seen walking up to different band members with a huge smile on his face, encouraging them to just do their thing. Perhaps it’s Cory’s focus on rhythm playing that makes him this way, as his goal at all times seems to be what can I do to make the band sound better? Even when Cory does take the occasional guitar solo, half the time it’s just the same iconic “91’ Maxima” riff. Somehow Cory can play the same exact solo in three or four different songs and have it sound fresh every time. That being said, the show’s greatest flaw was in the repetitive nature of the songs. Often tunes will include similar melodies and changes that leaves you wanting more versatility from the band, and they certainly have the technical skill to do it.
Overall, Cory Wong has proven yet again that he is one of the most overlooked yet inspiring names in contemporary music. After hearing his show all I could do was go home and play 9th chords until my hands hurt. So go put on the latest Cory Wong record, and maybe you’ll find some inspiration too.
