Philzone.org - Philzone Phansite Community Discussion Board: Setlists and Reviews: Non GD Related Reviews: Archive: DNB Mexicali Blues 5-31-07

I havent seen DNB in 3 years now. I think my last show was 4-29-04 @ the Hyde Park Brewery upstate NY. There were alot of smiles last night in teaneck. This wasnt the first time DNB has played the new bar, im pretty sure they did 1 gig there a couple of years ago with Bill...but for some reason this show was like a reunion show for alot of mexicali blues patrons and heavy nelson band fans. I got alot of high fives last night..Eli, Hillary and Joe the bartender all included. I was talking to Eli last night reminising when he booked the band to play the old mexicali blues on the other side of teaneck in '00. That was the first time i saw this band and i remember thinking they were the best small act ive ever seen. 7 years down the road, not much has changed since then. Eli and Hillary still run the best shop in town, and Joe is still the best bartender in NJ. All were there then and now last night, smiling ear to ear.

I really like the new rendition of this band. I think Pete Sears is a great fill-in for Bill Laymon...tuff shoes to fill. John Molo adds to the mix on skins. I think Barry's sound has really grown, understandably...Dave and Mookie are as solid as ever.

this band redefines solid rock. After 3 or 4 songs into the first set the zone laugh parade kicked in.

"Phil should grab this band and tour...NOW!"

By the end of the first set cumberland closer a mind meld had occured. Zeke was seen in full on jam-out mode...Lites and Jahnee were all full on head banging. For a few minutes i had to catch myself, stand still..closed my eyes and heard IT. listening to the sound take off like a steam locomotive and roll thunderbolts through the crowd. The band was so fucking ON hysterical blurbs of laughter were heard resonating around room. the guy next to me let out a scream...sounded like an overexcited yelp...like he couldnt push enough air out of his chest because his heart was pounding so hard.

Second set was nothing short of the same.

They played fucking FABLE, man!!!!

no left turn unstoned... except they broke mid song space out and layered one of the most beautiful Into the Mystic van the man covers on us...before reprising the chosen one again.

Hear the sound even louder
Than the ocean's roar

Right on! Right on! triple Right on!

The zone represented big time last night. Im sure those guys are either up @ hunter . today or in route so i dont expect them to read this but... Pete is was good talking DNB with you again. Sloboyle thanks for the beer! Peggy-o, the next time it sounds like Louis Collins remember babe, it aint no lie. The rest of yous...yowza!

NELSON BAND RULZ.

David Nelson & Friends ~ 05/31/07
Mexicali Blues Cafe, Teaneck, NJ

What a night!
Commander Cody and David Nelson & Friends for our listening pleasure.

Well, back to the Mexicali Blues Café. I first went here last New Years Eve to see the New Riders Of The Purple Sage. If you have never been, you should try to make it sometime. The place is super great with good beer selection, real nice folks working there, good looking food(I haven’t eaten here yet), and a tolerance and understanding for the heads that visit there. First class all the way. I took a friend there last night for the first time and he remarked that it seemed more like a west coast venue back in the day, then a venue on the east coast in New Jersey! Chalk one up for the great state of NJ!

Just like NYE it was a short ride there from Connecticut, no traffic and no problems. Got parked and went in early so my friend Rob could get his deck hooked up. Board patches were allowed, which is one of the greatest/generous things a band can do IMO. A while back I got copies of the Hawaii shows that this band did earlier in February (thanks Canyon!) and passed them on to a friend who then passed them on to some friends. They were blown away, not even realizing that this great music was being made. One of them showed up at the Mexicali to see for themselves. They left mightly impressed. Another person couldn’t make it last night, but will hopefully be there tonight. And yet another will be there tonight. So through the discs a few fans were picked up, and thrown on the bus of Nelson. Cool!

Commander Cody Band:
Commander Cody/George Frayne- keyboards, vocals
Rick Mullen- bass, vocals
Mark Emerick- guitar, vocals
Steve Barbuto- drums,vocals
Some of the tunes I can remember.
Too Much Fun, Riot In Cell Block #9, Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar, Rock That Boogie, Hot Rod Lincoln, Smoke That Cigarette, House Of Blue Lights, What’s The Matter Now, Should Have Been Me, Lone Ranger, Kick Me Out Of The Band, and I would guess another 2/3 songs. This was the perfect opening music for the night. The rock and roll of this band leaves a thirst that some Guinness can sooth. Good stuff!

David Nelson & Friends:
David Nelson-guitar, vocals
Barry Sless- guitar, pedal steel
Mookie Siegel- keyboards, accordion, vocals
Pete Sears- bass
John Molo-drums

How I got here.

I am going back a bit in time and remembering visiting my friend Heather in Trinidad and listening to the David Nelson Band CD “Keeper Of The Key” and “Limited Edition.” I remember thinking it was good stuff. A couple of years down the road and I have a cd burner and trading online via CD has taken off so I line up a few trades for some David Nelson Band discs. I think a show from the Mangy Moose was one of the first ones I got. Got a few more and would listen to them every once in a while, getting more and more into them with each listen. My friend Heather was always telling me about the great shows in northern California, trying to get me to visit and see them, but it never worked out for a variety of reasons. Fast forward a few more years to 04/26/04, with the David Nelson Band at the Rain Desert in CT. I am there! Finally I will get to see them.
Well, it didn’t work out. The place I was working at was in the process of moving locations and I had been working long hours, weekends included. The night of the show I went home exhausted from work and fell asleep on the couch at 7:00, Fuck me Agnes! No show for me tonight. After that show they played a few more shows that week in the area but I couldn’t make them. Bummer to have missed the show as the DNB really wasn’t playing the east coast often. As it turns out that would be last time the DNB played around here as Billy Laymon got sick and shortly after the NRPS got back together. When NRPS dates were added around here I jumped on the chance to see them when I could and am glad I got to see them six times in the last year. They are great and lots of fun, but down inside I still had an itch that needed to be scratched - A Nelson show! Lucky for me and many others , David Nelson and Friends got going with Pete Sears and John Molo taking over the drums and bass.
So I have yet to see the DNB, but I have now seen DN&F. Hopefully someday soon Billy Laymon will be fully recuperated and back on the road making music with the DNB. Until then, this band will work for me.

(Not in order, but I think I remember all the songs played)
Rocky Road Blues, Diamond Joe, Absolutely Sweet Marie, Friend Of The Devil, John Hardy’s Wedding, Just A Season, Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie, Rag Mama Rag, Fable Of A Chosen One, Into The Mystic>Fable Of A Chosen One, The Wicked Messenger, Freight Train Boogie, Cumberland Blues, The Wheel

I know that Rocky Road Blues, Diamond Joe and Absolutely Sweet Marie opened the show in fine fashion. Pretty sure that FOTD jammed out at the end and went into Just A Season. Rag Mama Rag was in the firstt set and was really out of control. John Hardy’s Wedding was also in the first set and I am pretty sure the Cumberland Blues ended it. They revved up Cumberland to a boil as was the Rag Mama Rag. Pete Sears was running that bass all over the place. What a tight band these guys are. They can get going, stop on a dime, slide around sideways, go way up and way down, whatever they want. This band takes you on a ride! Last night I danced harder then I have in a while and it felt good!
I can’t remember if Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie was played in the first or second set. Fable Of A Chosen One opened up the second set and went into The Wicked Messenger. Nelson did some great tight picking during this one. I think they reprised the Fable Of A Chosen one out of Into The Mystic. The Wheel ended the set and there was no encore.

Well after seeing them for the first time what can I say?
They are fucking excellent! After listening to many shows on discs I knew how good they were but until you see them live in person doing their stuff you don’t really know. Well now I do. Simply put, I was blown away. So glad that Nelson brought this band back east so I could see them. And even more glad that I get to see them again tonight!

Finally, I figured that there would be more folks there, but there wasn’t. Hopefully there was enough people, so that these gigs worked money wise for all the parties, and they can come back again real soon!
Thanks David Nelson & Friends!

I will get the sbd discs of the show from my friend Rob in a day or so and will offer them up so you can hear what went down at the Mexicali.
Rock N Roll!

Right On Eli & Hillary.........How About A Mexicali Blues West Coast?

I still don't get why more folks don't scream for more dnb in their area...they should be playing bigger houses and small sheds instead of bars...