it was a tuesday night in dallas, but the rock and roll energy was definitely saturday night worthy for dirty honey and austin meade.
now it’s fair to say i’ve been a fan of dirty honey since they hit the scene several years ago. i picked them then to be a rising star in rock and roll and after seeing them live for the 2nd time, they are well on their way.
first show was with the skillet / alter bridge tour at the bomb factory. back when it WAS the bomb factory (in Dallas, Tx) thankfully i was able to photograph that show also and twice now i’ve had the best seat in the house. well, for 3 songs anyway. but when you’re that close, a band can’t hide much. you can tell if they “feel it”.
and that feeling makes all the difference.
now maybe i do carry a soft spot for the band because marc lebelle on vocals reminds me in so many ways of my friend and brother, joey c jones. vocals and mannerisms, while not “twins”, are definitely in the gene pool. the power, the energy, and lets face it, the charisma works for labelle.
the entire band own the stage while they are on it. justin smollan on bass and john notto on guitars work the audience and play well off each. the energy is contagious and that is what you want when you see a band live.
one of my favorite parts of any band is how bright the bass player shines. do they sit there and smile some while simply keeping time for the guys? or – do they dive in and become a vital part of the party?
i ain’t gonna lie – smollen brings it. not just the energy, but bass takes over the dominant force of the song a few times and smollen shines.
now a name i’ve not heard, austin meade, opened up for dirty honey and i always love to hear something new. mr meade, you made a new fan and i’ll be on itunes soon to start getting some songs for our rotation. before the show i had several friends tell me they wante to hit this show for meade as well. definitely an up and comer in rock.
the tour is underway and goes through mid december. click on that link you just passed and find a show near you. find dirty honey and austin meade on facebook and give ’em a like. best thing you can do support straight ahead rock and roll like this.
some pics from the night –
