Closing out January, Lettuce put on a marvelous show, adding heat to a frigid evening at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine.
Lettuce has been a staple on my feel-good playlist for years, adding spice to the vibes in my life. Getting a chance to see and hear the soul they pour into their work was incredible.
The band is currently on tour debuting music from their Cook album, a body of work that dives deeper into a pool of pure funk and jazz. They began with “Clav It Your Way,” a groovy, clavinet-heavy track played by the extraordinary Nigel Hall. Hall is the keyboard master of the band and also added excellent vocals on “Risin’ to the Top,” a Keni Burke cover.
Mixing in older material with the new, a highlight of the evening was hearing the bass work of Erik “Maverick” Coomes on “Ghosts of Yest.” The groove of that hook-driven bass line is not one to forget.
The radiant guitar playing by Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff throughout the night was spectacular. Some standout guitar work soared through songs like “Sam Huff’s Flying Ragin’ Machine,” “The Lock,” and “Grewt Up.” The drumming by Adam Deitch was the cherry on top, keeping the beat and helping the crowd move their feet while maintaining the heat during the chilled night.
And how could we forget two crucial forces of the entire evening: Ryan “Zoid” Zoidis on saxophone and Eric “Benny” Bloom on horns? Each song was graced by the horn section. A standout moment was how effortlessly they made the Herbie Hancock covers (“Chameleon” and “Bubbles”) look. They make it seem easy to pick up a sax or horn and just let it rip.
I’m forever in awe of musicians who can fully immerse themselves in their work and become one with it. Lettuce is one of those bands—you can tell how perfectly crafted and intricate each section is. I cannot wait to see them again!
You can catch Lettuce at a city near you. View Dates Here.
Stream Cook wherever you stream music: APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY
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