The bluegrass rhythms and playful horns of Brooklyn-based band Roosevelt Dime made for an entertaining Sunday night at the Bullfrog Brewery, 229 W. Fourth St. And when Eben Pariser began playing a washtub bass, the fun factor went through the roof.
Besides the joyride, what made the experience memorable was the potent vocals provided - at different times through the night - by each member of the band.
The ensemble vocals keep you on your toes. When a song begins, the first few seconds are spent scanning the faces of the members to see who's singing - a fact that momentarily disorients the listener before he or she can settle into the song.
But once the listener settles, he or she is in for a good time.
Whether it's Pariser, banjoist Andrew Green, trumpeter-coronetist Hardin Butcher, saxophonist-clarinetist Seth Paris or drummer Tony Montalbano singing, the vocals always sit well in or behind the music with just the right touch of emotional gravity.
And isn't that usually the mark of good bands and musicians? Think of Neil Young - even when his compositions feel too slight and his ideas too loose - the innate gravity of his voice and the sincerity of his delivery keep you captivated.
Well, Roosevelt's tunes certainly aren't feeble - and even though compositional nuance is something that's difficult to assess at a live show, the sheer muscle of the band's sound won't leave you looking for cracks. It puts your inner critic to sleep, allowing you to just enjoy the music.
One thing that does come through, however, is the patience and precision of the band members. During one tune, I watched Paris hold his clarinet against his brilliant, orange sweater, waiting for his moment to wail.
To see a musician standing so still and listening so closely amidst the clamoring of his bandmates is a revelatory experience. Then, when his cue finally came, he let it rip and jammed his sound up against Butcher's trumpet, creating a sonic blast.
Sherry Linn, of Pittsburgh, said, "I was really impressed by the variety of instruments the band plays."
Green said that Roosevelt Dime enjoys hanging out at the Bullfrog and should return in the fall.
For more information, visit rooseveltdimemusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/rooseveltdimemusic.
