The Dennis Brennan Band at The Iron Horse Music Hall

The Dennis Brennan Band
Iron Horse Music Hall
Northampton, MA

Dennis Brennan - vocals, guitar
Duke Levine - guitar
Kevin Barry - lap steel, guitar
Billy Beard - drums
Andrew Mazzone - bass, vocals

Opener: Jeffrey Foucalt




It may be stretching the definition to call a Dennis Brennan Band show a "Folk Music Concert"; they are closer to the Rock end of things, though a very rootsy, bluesy Rock. On the other hand we like their music, and I didn't notice any horses on the stage. Also, the opener, Jeffrey Foucault, definitely falls into the folk singer-songwriter genre.

We've seen the Dennis Brennan Band once before, at Cafe Fantastique in Worchester, and have been hoping for a chance to see them again. So, when they booked a short notice show at the Iron Horse we jumped at the chance, even though it was a 90 minute drive. It's not that the band doesn't play in the area much; in fact they play at least once a week near Boston. The problem is that their usual show is at the Lizard Lounge bar, in Cambridge, on a weekday night, at 10pm, and we just aren't up to that.

The unusual thing about the Dennis Brennan Band is that it's a case where audience comes as much for the sidemen, Duke Levine and Kevin Barry in particular, as for the frontman. Dennis is a fine singer and songwriter, but Duke and Kevin are among leading session players in the Boston area, and both have toured with major performers. The high points of the shows are when one or the other takes an extended guitar solo. This show was no exception, you could tell from the audience reaction when the band members were introduced that a large part of the audience were "Duke groupies".

The band only played a single set of about 1 hour and 20 minutes, since the club had booked another act as a late show that same night.

Set list. Except as noted the songs were originals, mostly written by Dennis:

• Here She Comes
• After the Ball
• Theresa
• Blue Sky, Red Song
• Government Johnny Mckee, co-written by Dennis and Duke
  
• When You Were Loving Him
• Everybody's Running Away
• Personal Assistant
• Barbara Allen's Dream, this included a blistering guitar solo by Kevin
  
• Bobby Moore's Bridge, Dennis noted that this song was off their 1995 Rounder album, but that they had only begun performing it again recently. Apparently the bridge to the song is based on "a famous song" and they had had to pay royalties to "a billionaire song writer".
  
• Youngstown
• Feels Like Going Home (Charlie Rich)
• Sugar Falls
• Encore: Fools Paradise (Charles Brown), during this Dennis walked ofstage while both Kevin and Duke took extended solos.

The opening act was Jeffrey Foucault. It was a pleasant surprise when we found out that Jeffrey was going to be opening. We've seen him previously opening for Chris Smither and solo at some festivals. He's a strong singer and guitarist whose songs fall on the bluesy, alt-country end of the spectrum, with a hint of Neil Young. Jeffrey would be worth seeing as a headliner. He performed:

• Mesa Arizona
• Stripping Cane
• Ghost Repeater
• Americans in Corduroys
• Wild Waste and Welter
• Train to Jackson