Keys, Strings & a Band of Kings: Tony Lucca & Brendan James
Reviewed by Adrienne Beckham
There was a time when I couldn’t even imagine going to a concert on a Tuesday night with school the next day. There WAS a time, but this past Tuesday at World Cafe Live was the second consecutive Tuesday night I spent heading out for a show. So, I think it’s time to give up on that dream of being a functioning member of society who is in bed by midnight. Assuming I keep seeing shows like Vicci Martinez, Tony Lucca, Brendan James’s World Cafe Live performance though, I think I can accept that.
The Voice’s Team CeeLo Season 1 finalist, Vicci Martinez, opened up what would turn out to be a soulful night at World Cafe Live and all I could think about throughout her set was just how unbelievably epic her vocal delivery was. When I say epic, I mean that in the classic Homer’s Odyssey sense of the word. Martinez has got some crazy pipes. Of course, that was obvious from her anthemic performances on The Voice, but just seeing such a powerhouse live was a sight. She just straight up jams when she gets on stage; there’s no other way to describe it. Her eyes snap shut and she’s just on a whole different plane. Something about the contrast between how intense her voice is and how cool her personality is makes her music really dig deep into you. From start to finish, it’s like you are gravitated towards her. Martinez’s set featured a mix of originals, covers such as fan favorite “Jolene,” and also a mashup of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and the “Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That” song which was probably one of the greatest things I’ve heard in my life that everyone in the room couldn’t stop laughing along to.
After Martinez stepped off the stage, I was trying to predict whether Lucca or James was up next. Turned out my prediction was irrelevant because they ended up coming on stage together with both of their supporting band members and jumped right into their first song. Lucca and James combined their sets and played together for the majority of the night, and even brought Martinez back out here and there to complete the picture. I think that’s how I want every co-headlining show to be structured because it just felt so organic. It was one happy celebration, and with all the hilarious onstage banter mixed in between honest lyrics, there was a unique sense of intimacy laden through the night that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced at a show before. As it is, I’ve seen Lucca play an acoustic show once before, but this time was even better than the first time (which is saying a lot because that was a great show). Watching him interact with James and their combined band was a treat, and you can tell just how at home Lucca feels on stage with a full band. He just lights up on stage; you can hear it in the way he croons through every song with an underlying smirk.
A personal favorite of the entire show, Brendan James is a master onstage and behind a keyboard. His performance added a special nuance that brought the best out of everyone playing onstage. Maybe I’m a little (or a lot) biased because I learned piano as a kid and
have loved the instrument ever since, but I couldn’t get over just how talented James is. Also, his relaxed vocals and personality was the perfect compliment to Lucca’s energetic and nonstop charisma. The chemistry between them and everyone on stage was undeniably infectious. One truly wonderful element of the show was that every musician on stage was equally matched in talent and meshed together so naturally. The prime example of that came during a mashup of Bill Wither’s “Grandma’s Hands” and Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” which was a smooth rendition that started out with just Lucca and a few other band members and ended with James literally sneaking back on stage to get in on the action. James didn’t miss a beat when he jumped in with his expert piano skills and a suggestive “I like the way you work it.” Everyone was loving the laid back and soulful groove until Lucca jokingly ended it by remarking that it was probably weird to mix those particular songs. Despite that disturbing mental image though, it sounded incredible.
The night ended with an almost cathartic encore and by the end of everything, I couldn’t have been happier to have come out to the show. This is definitely a tour to catch if you can. Tony Lucca, Brendan James, and Vicci Martinez are a match made in musical heaven, and after Tuesday’s show, I’m 100% all for a collaboration album, side project, anything. You know, I’m just throwing that out there.
