The last time Lettuce played at the original Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY, they performed a vibrant New Year's celebration to cap off a three-night stand on December 31, 2017. The Boston, MA-based sextet is no stranger to the jam band-friendly venue, as they were tapped for a two-night stand as part of the venue's fifteenth-anniversary celebration. We were fortunate to attend the second night on September 29, 2024. Keyboardist Nigel Hall handled the pre-show duties with an upbeat DJ set. Alecia Chakour sat in with the band periodically throughout the night, providing her blissful vocals on top of the jazz, rock, and R&B blend served up by Lettuce.
Before diving into the review, let's take a moment to celebrate fifteen legendary years of incredible music at the iconic Brooklyn Bowl. This LEED-certified venue is the vision of Peter Shapiro and has launched the careers of many musicians. Perhaps most notably, the first show by Joe Russo's Almost Dead took place at the storied Williamsburg venue. They host bands of all genres, albeit with a delightful affinity for jamming. From heavy hitters like Trey Anastasio and Galactic to emerging artists like Escaper and Big Shrimp, this venue can be counted on for epic performances along with a well-trained and empathetic staff. Did we mention the tasty food with vegan and allergy-friendly options? This venue is the real deal, and we highly recommend a visit to the Big Apple location as well as the spin-offs in Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Nashville. On a side note, this exciting celebration will continue with select shows throughout the rest of 2024.
The evening began with Hall alone on the stage, where he served up a righteous DJ set as the fans slowly streamed into the venue. Members of Lettuce hung out behind stage grooving to Hall's fun mix.
The band slowly emerged onstage and kicked off Set One with "Get Greasy" from their album Crush. This jazz-funk original was just what the doctor ordered on a humid September evening. Eric "Benny" Bloom elevated this tune on trumpet. Nigel Hall added a nice synth feel. The funk rolled on into "Yakatori," which included saxophone courtesy of Ryan Zoidis. Drummer Adam Deitch was all over the dynamically changing beats. "Tryllis" followed, and the band started to gel for the evening as Adam "Shmeeans" Smirnoff crushed the guitar. Deitch continued to impress as the music delved into acid jazz territory. At the conclusion, the band gave a shout-out to Bobby and Denise Deitch.
Vocalist Alecia Chakour joined the party for the next tune, the R&B-inspired "The Love You Left Behind" from Mt. Crushmore. Incidentally, Chakour provided vocals for the album version back in 2016. A thick groove emerged as Smirnoff sewed together the vibrant vocals and horns. Two yummy James Brown covers followed, starting with "Do Your Thing." Her sultry voice combined perfectly with the slow-burn song tempo. The band decided to dial the beat back up for "What Do I Have to Do," much to the delight of the crowd, and ended the set on a decisively funky note.
"Reunion" from Outta Here began the second set with vigor. Hall's synth was the glue during this slow funk-jazz tune. The band wasted no time during their last tune as a sextet for the night, "Lettsanity" from their 2012 release Fly. They did not let this time go to waste, as they developed another robust yet danceable jazz groove. Bloom once again delivered a raging solo that cemented this clever musical moment.
Chakour returned to the stage for "From My Friend," where she sang a duet with Hall. The tempo slowed once again for this blues-inspired tune. As the show progressed, it was hard to hold back the band, who had met at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
"Don't Be Afraid to Try" followed, featuring Chakour, much to the crowd's delight. This was another tune that Chakour originally recorded with Lettuce back in 2014, and the collective group certainly flexed their musical muscles in this layered, funky R&B tune. The music carried into "He Made a Woman Out of Me," written by Fred Burch and Don Hill. The band masterfully transitioned into "Family Affair" by Sly & the Family Stone, with Hall once again taking lead on vocals. Chakour contributed to this memorable version.
Lettuce delved into Earth, Wind & Fire territory with "Makin' My Way Back Home," but not before another shout-out to the band's mom and dad, Bobby and Denise Deitch. The band also made a bold statement that the world would be a better place if everyone listened to Earth, Wind & Fire once a day. We couldn't agree more, honestly. The band slayed this well-known tune as they ended the set.
The band returned energized for the encore. Hall discussed love songs that they played for Valentine's Day in years past and announced that they were resurrecting "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. This included another duet between Chakour and Hall, and we can only hope the band keeps playing this vintage R&B tune. They were not done quite yet and had one face-melting mash-up to deliver: "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield. Chakour and Hall detoured into a mellower, emotional vocal performance of "Be a Lion." The band returned to "Move On Up," which sent the fans home with a huge smile. While exiting the stage, they offered a very important piece of advice: "Please try to at least be nice to yourself."
Lettuce is back in action with jamtronica titans Sound Tribe Sector 9 at the Radius in Chicago, IL on October 18-19. Tickets are available via this link. They are also on the lineup for Jam Cruise in Feb 2025, along with STS9. Hop on over to their tour page for details about the rest of their schedule.
Check out more photos from the show!
Date: September 29, 2024
Venue: Brooklyn Bowl
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Set One: Get Greasy, Yakatori, Tryllis, The Love You Left Behind1, Do Your Thing12, What Do I Have to Do12
Set Two: Reunion, Lettsanity, From My Friend1, Don't Be Afraid to Try1, He Made a Woman Out of Me13, Makin' My Way Back Home1 > Family Affair14 > He Made a Woman Out of Me13, Gratitude156
Encore: You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'17, Move On Up18 > Be A Lion1 > Move On Up18
Notes:
1. with Alecia Chakour
2. James Brown
3. Fred Burch
4. Sly & the Family Stone
5. Earth, Wind & Fire
6. Dedicted to Bobby and Denise Deitch
7. Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
8. Curtis Mayfield
