For their maiden voyage to the Tampa Bay area Ybor City debut, quirky, fun New England-based hip quartet Lake Street Dive made quite an impression on an unusually nippy Saturday night. The large crowd gathered in Ybor City's Cuban Club courtyard didn't seem to mind the drastic drop in degrees outside, their focus held captive by the heat Lake Street Dive generated from the stage. [Words by Gabe, photos by Andy.]
Getting things off to a rousing start just after 9:30 p.m. and as the all-too-familiar strains of Survivor's 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger" pumped through the PA, the band made their way to the elevated stage one member at a time. As drummer Mike Calabrese climbed to his riser at stage right and started banging out a tune, upright bassist Bridget Kearney grabbed ahold of her massive instrument and began complementing his beat while adding rhythmic texture to the sound. Soon guitarist and trumpeter Mike Olson (nickname: “McDuck”) joined them and added to the joyful racket that was emerging. Last but certainly not least, powerhouse lead vocalist Rachael Price strutted to the mic at the center of the stage and began to lay her incredible vocals on top.
Breezing through selections from their two full-length albums, Lake Street Dive more than impressed a crowd that seemed mostly unfamiliar with their catalog. For many in attendance, this concert marked an introduction to the unique blend of pop, soul, jazz and folk the foursome has become known for over their 10-year existence.
And what a great way to become familiarized with the band. While their recorded output sounds dynamic and fresh, nothing beats the live music experience; and the power and pizzazz Lake Street Dive pour into their live delivery is their greatest gift.
Dressed in mini-skirt, jacket and scarf, the youthful Price was radiant and beaming as she dazzled the crowd with her vocal prowess. Engaging, playful and endearing, Price possesses a massive amount of charisma to match her vocal agility. She and the rest of the band seemed genuinely elated at being so well-received and they seemed to feed off the response they were getting. As the show progressed, so did their comfort level and the foursome treated their newly-acquired fans to a fantastic 90-minute crash course in their expertly-crafted pollination of genres and styles.
Tinkering with impressive three-part harmonies to back Price's commanding vocals, the band cruised through standout cuts like the bluesy "What About Me," the fun pop of "Use Me Up," as well as the neo-rockabilly of "You Go Down Smooth," all highlights from Bad Self Portraits, the band's latest offering.
Of the evening's many highlights, the band's foray into 1984 Van Halen classic "Jump" — which is mashed into their own composition "Bobby Tanqueray" — surely ranked as one of the more engaging spots of the night. No strangers to tackling exquisite cover versions of other artists' material (most notably with their attention-grabbing take on Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" that went viral on YouTube a few years ago), Lake Street Dive bring a sense of excitement and joy to popular music that is sadly uncommon these days.
What's also uncommon is a band singing the praise of radio and stressing how important radio airplay can be to a band's success. As the show was promoted by local community radio station WMNF, Price made sure to remind the audience how lucky they were to have a station of its kind in their hometown; a sentiment that was met with plenty of heartfelt applause.
A sneak peek was also given to as-yet-unrecorded songs that will be featured on the band's forthcoming album. If the new material is any indication, Lake Street Dive seemed poised to win over plenty more fans with their infectious blend of charisma and boundless talent.
Thanks to the rousing bit of unexpected response the band received, Lake Street Dive are sure to return to the immediate area as they promised at the show's conclusion. They seemed almost apologetic for never coming to Tampa to play before but you almost get the feeling that the next time they roll through, their local fanbase and the size of the venue they play will have increased drastically.
