By: Tom Ely
Only 10 of the roughly 75 guests that would later make up the crowd had arrived to the Cabooze by 9:50, but it was too bad for the slackers and slowpokes – it was time to get rolling. The guys in Fat Maw Rooney jokingly asked if we all had name tags, and whether we were ready for a night of speed dating, and then they lied, “we’re the Roadhouse Blues Band!” (Fat Maw Rooney’s original name).
With a laugh, the tension was gone, but it reappeared over and over at the talented hands of this tight quintet from Wisconsin. As they played, they habitually built on basic riffs, twisting them around, wringing out the possibilities and bringing them back home. You could see them exchange looks as if to say, “check THIS out… and now THIS!” On average, their songs ran over ten minutes; if you can’t hang with the jam, this stuff is not for you. Their show was advertised as a CD release party, but Horseshoes and Hand Grenades just wasn’t ready. And more surprisingly, their first one, End of the Beginning, was not available at the merch table. And to think I had a ten burning a hole in my pocket!
My favorites songs included the opener, “Highway,” with angular bassist Kevin Rowe using all five strings to masterfully provide smooth pavement and banked turns. Set list staple “Shine On” had an upbeat, rhythmic feel similar to the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias,” while “Disjunkt” was built on a mellow groove, with Earl Klugh-like guitar notes raining in from guitarist R.J. Peterson. The song intensified with the poignant lyrics: “If I never see you again, well that would be alright.”
Many songs were interconnected, with “Bourbon Street,” transitioning into a crazy jam by drummer Joshua Vaughn and percussionist/vocalist Ryan Necci, then flowing into “Going to the Country,” and finally back into “Burbon Street.” “Going to the Country” was discomfiting when Necci soulfully lamented, “I can’t help thinking…I might be better off dead.”
The band embraced experimentation, especially in “Sandbox/Footprints,” a jazzy piece including an interesting, strange, artsy poetic muse from guitarist/vocalist Craig Baumann. More familiar sounding were the songs “Red House,” a Jimi Hendrix cover with brassy, wailing slide guitar, and “Rocket Shoes,” a cut from the upcoming CD. Here, a sprightly 2/4 time signature sounded quite like The Big Wu’s “House of Wu.”
An encore was not optional, lest the fans begin to riot. Out broke Black Sabbath’s heavy rocking “War Pigs.” The crowd loved it, and the floor was filled with people bobbing, swaying, and shaking their heads. My earplugs proved crucial (as a side note: tinnitus is bad, n’kay kids?!). The finale was an impressively sweet ballad reminiscent of civil war songs, sung a cappella in amazing four or five-part harmony; you don’t get that sound without a lot of practice.
Fat Maw Rooney has what it takes to build a strong following in Minneapolis, so see them now while the crowds are comfortably sized. A great band to see outdoors, you can catch them this summer at any of several concert festivals. The twentysomethings are the organizers of Fatfest, which will take place July 6-8 near Winona, MN. Their first such effort, they have lined up over a dozen bands, including some I can recommend to almost any music fan: Trampled by Turtles, Cornmeal, and 56 Hope Road. At only $35 for a full ticket; $20 or $13 for a one-day ticket, the show will be a bargain.
Photo by Tom Ely.
Location Info:
Cabooze
Artist Info: Far Maw Rooney
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