Friday night I had no plans, none of my usual pals seemed eager to head out on the town, though I have to admit I did wait until the last minute to light the beacon. Rustic Barn Pub is a safe bet on a night when a music lover has no plans, for there is live music there every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and sometimes Sunday. Tonight they have the heavy hitting Ginger Geezus playing, so I figured I would go take it in. I had some “dad” business that kept me busy that kept till about 6:30, then I swung by my beloved Nighthawks in downtown Troy to kill time and have a quick whiskey sour and a light dinner. The “Barn” is a quick 10-to-12-minute ride from the downtown area, and I arrived about 5 minutes before showtime.
The Barn was pretty well packed, there wasn’t an empty table at first glance, and I was lucky to find a hole at the bar. They are also well known for their excellent menu, and the bartenders and waitstaff are constantly in motion, dodging between tables and standing bar patrons whilst serving and bussing tables.
Ginger Geezus consists of Alex Riddell on drums, Austin Nicholsen on bass, James Juron on guitar, and Matt “Matty D” Desrochers on vocals. They kicked off at 8pm with a cover of Hendrix’s “Stone Free” and it really set the tone. This band is an absolute wall of sound. The covers they play hit harder than the original compositions and their originals rock even harder. As they pushed through their blistering first set, I also took note and had to admire the presentation as well. These guys looked the part; they looked like rockers and had the chops to back it up. Maty D, with his red pearl snap shirt and sunglasses, kept the crowd engaged whilst delivering an excellent performance. I especially like his delivery on Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” and Freddy King’s “Going Down”.
The groove was infectious between Riddell, Nicholsen, and Juron, and the rhythm section held it down tight when Juron let loose on his emphatic leads. Juron must be 6’4” and his trademark style makes him hard to forget. He can play fast but deliberate, but also slow and tasty. His rig was also impressive, complete with a half stack, a massive pedalboard without a wasted square inch, and he brought along a battery of about five or six guitars. I think I even saw something that looked like a Gibson Explorer, but my eyesight not being as good as it once was, I couldn’t tell for sure. Towards the end of the first set, they were joined on stage by Joe Adee from Joe Adee and the Lugnuts, who added a second guitar to ZZ Top’s “Tush” and The Allman Brothers’s “One Way Out”.
After a quick break they were back for their second set, and it started out with a couple Hendrix songs, “Foxy Lady” and “Manic Depression”, which was a treat. I always like to hear a cover you don’t hear many others do. They mixed in a few more originals on their way to the finish, set up with a damn fine version of “Texas Flood” by Stevie Ray Vaughn. Matty D grabbed his acoustic to sing Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” for the closer. Then the encore. Yes, they played “Freebird”, giving in to the pressure from that one guy in every bar crowd for the past forty plus years. And it was good! “Freebird” played Ginger Geezus style sounded as if a mashup of Zeppelin and ZZ Top covered it. Even Matty D’s acoustic sounded heavy. Great show, well done, boys.
This band has more than enough in their catalog to attract anyone just simply looking to rock out to some classic rock covers, but I want to place an emphasis on their original material. It’s really solid and I felt their original material seamlessly blended with the songs surrounding them, but they definitely grabbed your attention with their unique groove and energy. On the way home it sorts of hit me so I dug out Clutch’s from Beale Street to Oblivion. I don’t know why but I kind of hear a bit of Clutch from this era in Ginger Geezus original tunes. Maybe it’s the swagger and the energy. I would love to hear them cover “Electric Worry” or “The Devil & Me” someday (hint).
Ginger Geezus currently has three songs up on Spotify for you to check out. Their next gig is at Nanola in Malta on 9 May, 7pm. I also recommend paying attention to what’s happening at the Rustic Barn Pub. There’re great acts there every weekend, and on Thursday nights they have their legendary open mic which attracts some of the best musicians in the area. I’ve personally witnessed many examples of improvisational magic happen there over the past year or so. I try to get there when I can. Their food is great too, so check it out.
In other news, my band, Jeff Hill Gang is playing Saturday, 3 May at Unihog in Hoosick Falls, 7pm. We are opening for WailOn, a tribute to the kings of outlaw country. I’ve been to Unihog a few times now and it’s a really cool venue, and worth checking out.
-Richard Hoffay
