By: Joe Lang
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Alicia Wiley - Press photo from her website
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The show at the Nomad was put on by McNally Smith College of Music, and the night kicked off with M Theory. They sounded a bit like a James Brown tribute band, but they mixed in quite a few other soul influences as well including Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Their female lead singer had some pipes, combining a lot of raw power with smoky femininity. If you missed the chance to check out Will Holland’s Quantic Soul Orchestra, M Theory would make a decent substitute. After talking to their former keyboardist, Jesse Mueller, I found out the band has never had a paying gig, which surprised me because they play a damn good funk.
After the band finished tearing down, the electronic group Future Antiques took the stage. What M Theory was to The Quantic Soul Orchestra, Future Antiques is to Thievery Corporation. The drums, bass and guitar provided aural textures behind which Danielle, the lead singer, lent her smooth vocals. If you dig that kind of slick electronic music, then they are worth checking out.
At about 11:30, Alicia Wiley took the stage. She was basically unrecognizable from her press photos, and it looked like she underwent the Britney/Christina makeover. The little cute snow bunny shown in her press photos was replaced by a longer mane of pulled back blonde hair, a velvety tank top, some skin tight jeans and some big-ass black boots. Honestly, though, that’s not (entirely) why I went to go see Ms. Wiley. According to her press bio, “she's gathering comparisons to the likes of Fiona Apple and Dianna Krall, [but] Alicia has a sound all her own.” A comparison to Fiona or Diana isn’t completely unfounded, but making such a comparison ignores a couple of things. First, Alicia has a better voice than either one. Second, her playing is more creative, and certainly more textural than either. And thirdly she’s got a better band. Not to discredit Alicia, but having the rhythm section of Moveable Feast (Kevin Washington and Jeff Bailey) could make almost anyone sound good.
The set clocked in at just over an hour, which was a bit on the short side, but the performance left little to complain about. The set kicked off with the title track off her recent EP, In Your Sight, and Alicia sounded as if she was layering a straight piano sound with a Fender Rhodes tone, which lent itself nicely to her signature dark chord changes. Throughout the set Alicia played new songs, music from her first album, Alicia, and tracks from In Your Sight, including the funky, yet ambient, “Overtime.” One of the more exciting tracks off her new EP, it lets every member of the band flex their muscles. While Kevin laid down some pocket groove, Jeff played rock solid bass lines, the guitarist pulled out some Scofield-esque squeals, and Alicia pounded those keys just a little bit harder.
Midway through the set, the backup band left the stage, and Alicia joked to Kevin, “It’s OK if you don’t want to be in my band anymore.” Her solo piece showcased some intricate piano parts, which had chord and scale work that brought Rachmaninov to mind. The band returned and finished the set off after a few tunes. Aside from some selfish qualms about her musical directions (I would love to see her totally unleashed, embracing the funk), and the brevity of the set, Alicia’s performance was more than satisfactory. She’s got some serious talent for a young musician, and she’s definitely going places.
Location Info:
Nomad World Pub
Artist Info: Alicia Wiley, Future Antiques, M Theory
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