The majority of live bands worth paying to hear are good, but the great ones have a clarity, energy, precision, and showmanship that confirms their popularity. Those who attended the concert Voile sponsored at the Outdoor Retailer show last week (23jan14) were privvy to a club experience with a band that shone like some of the best I’ve ever seen. Over the years I’ve attended my fair share of concerts and seen some impressive bands live, including The Beatles’ McCartney, Seger, Genesis, Pretenders, the J. Geils Band, Freddie Mercury and Queen, plus jazz greats like Herbie Hancock and George Benson. The band that took the stage at the State Room in Salt Lake City was Orgone, pronounced Or-Goen (rhymes with own). Against such greats they held their own.

Orgone opened with seven guys banging out two no nonsense songs that put everyone on notice — the rhythm is contagious, it won’t stop, and you can’t help but move to the music.

Sean O’Shea layed down a back beat that sharpened Dale Jennings thunderous rhythm of pure funk. The conga player added a latin tap to the mix but when the horns blew I swore the Temptations would come out dancing with top hats and canes next. It sounded just like Motown, but with the complexity of improvisational jazz. While we weren’t dancing in the streets, nobody was standing still either.

Originally I was thinking I’d listen to a few songs, then head home and catch up on some shut eye. At this point, however, I was already in for at least two more. Then the girl came on stage, with huge, froowed out hair and I thought, “she looks like she knows how to sing,” and after she took the mike, we all thought, “and how!” Wow! Aretha, Martha, Dianas Ross and Summer, may I introduce your replacement Fanny Franklin whose voice will keep the gospel strains of soul alive and well.

At that point everyone in the hall was all in. Who would leave such a show to go to bed early?

Orgone – Give It Up

Music, of course, is a very personal thing and some things don’t quite translate without the live performance. Nonetheless I knew talent like that needed support, so on the way out I picked up a few CD’s. There were some other voices on the discs besides Fanny’s, but my experience was listening to the gospel tones she belted out, and some didn’t stack up the same, even hers. Such is the disparity between live and recorded. Alas, Deb isn’t quite convinced yet, but she didn’t see them either.

It seems a lot of the members of the band come and go, and yet, a bit of YouTube sleuthing suggests the band doesn’t let just anyone hold the mic. It looks like Fanny’s on tour, so see them if they come your way.

If you have a few minutes, I recommend checking a few of these vids out. And get ready to dance.

© 2014
 

I Get Lifted (highly recommended)