Melvin Seals brought his talented band to the iconic Capitol Theatre on April 5, 2024 for two fiery sets of classic Jerry Garcia Band covers, and more. They were joined by saxophonist Ron Holloway. Psychedelic rockers One Eyed Jack provided their support.
The evening began with solid set by the New Jersey based One Eyed Jack. The current lineup consists of guitarist Gary Gallagher, bassist Adam Riley, vocalist/lyricist Rosie Lazroe, drummer Vincent Smith, guitarist/vocalist Pete Tonti, and keyboardist/vocalist Joe Biglin. They played a set full of tasty blues rock jams with stellar vocals, which is often a sore point for jam bands. The crowd was ready for Melvin and his merry band after this fun set.
Shortly after One Eyed Jack's set ended, the curtains slowly opened as Melvin and JGB kicked off a high energy, bluesy, jazz inspired jam leading into "Memphis Soul Stew Jam," by King Curtis. The mellow, Sam Cooke cover "Wonderful World" followed. Holloway was front and center from this the very start, elevating the music by a factor of saxophone. Seals was on point on the organ during this jam as well. Bassist John Paul McLean was crushing the bass during "Ain't No Bread in the Breadbox," by Norton Buffalo. The crowd was on their feet and dancing as this song wound down.
"Like a Road Leading Home" followed, and brought a much needed slow ballad vibe. Guitarist John Kadlecik elegantly sang this beautiful song. "Tore Up Over You"," by Hank Ballard was up next, and brought a nice, feel good vibe. The well known Jerry Garcia Band tune "Cats Under the Stars" brought a lot of excitement from the crowd. This flowed perfectly into "The Wheel." Another stellar transition into "Drums" ensued, and highlighted drummer Jeremy Hoenig's focused drumming. The set ended on a high note with the Grateful Dead's "Corrina."
The band took a short break, and heated the Cap up again with Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally." Kadlecik and Holloway together brought a lot of life into this classic rock tune. The crowd was beyond excited as the band played the slow intro for "Sugaree." Holloway was once again the stand out during this almost twelve minute tune. Hoenig was once again lighting up the drum kit during "Tangled Up in Blue" by Bob Dylan. The music slowed down once again for the euphonious ballad, 'That Lucky Old Sun" by Frankie Laine.
The mood escalated as the band began to play "US Blues" by the Grateful Dead, and the crowd erupted. The penultimate tune "My Sisters and My Brothers" kept the crowd moving. The show ended an absolutely raging note during the Jerry Garcia Band tune "Deal."
Melvin Seals and JGB put on two great sets of blues and jazz jam rock. They are up next at Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburg, PA on April 9, 2024. Tickets are available via this link. Hop on over to their tour page for more details about the rest of their spring tour.
Check out more photos from the show!
Set One: Memphis Soul Stew Jam, Wonderful World, Ain't No Bread in the Breadbox, Like a Road Leading Home, Tore Up Over You, Cats Under the Stars > The Wheel > Drums > Corrina
Set Two: Lay Down Sally, Sugaree, Tangled Up in Blue, That Lucky Old Sun, U.S. Blues, My Sisters and Brothers, Deal
