<--press kit   <--- reviews

November 2006
Volume 21, Online Issue #3

gb Leighton at the Minnesota Music Cafe
by Bob Velez

Published online at:
http://themetropolitan.metrostate.edu/twinTownSound1106.html

My personal musical tastes would certainly be best characterized as eclectic; I am certain that more than one music store employee would view my purchases as indicative of someone with Multiple Personality Disorder.

It was not uncommon for me, in the days before downloading music was commonplace (a topic that could, in itself, take up an entire issue of The Metropolitan), to arrive at the counter with selections ranging from Ministry to Pink Floyd to Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture" (which for all of you audiophiles out there sounds most excellent on a pair of Klipsch Forte II’s). I’ve received more than one sideways glance from folks tallying up my purchases at the register.

With the plethora of local talent in the various cities I have lived in, attending a live music performance is always enjoyable for me. When the opportunity presented itself to attend the recent gb Leighton concert at the Minnesota Music Café (just down the hill from our St. Paul Campus on the corner of Seventh Street and Payne Avenue, no less), I gladly accepted the assignment to attend and report back to you, my fellow schoolmates, about the musical stylings of one of Minnesota’s favorite sons.

Brian Leighton, a native of Shoreview, Minn., shares his family namesake with the band he fronts. However, that is where his prominence ends.

gb Leighton is a group of accomplished musicians who could arguably be characterized as the "hardest working band in show business" (my apologies for the James Brown reference). The band plays all over the upper-Midwest, and their name is recognized by many who follow the Twin Cities local music scene. Their regular weekly show at Bunker’s Music Bar and Grill on Wednesday nights is a testimony to the extent of their local following and to their staying power.

gb Leighton played the Minnesota Music Café on Sept 22. The venue is an excellent one, and the house was packed with enthusiastic music lovers.

One aspect of the performance that was quite surprising, even before the band took the stage, was the diverse crowd. Fans from seemingly every social stratum were in attendance eagerly awaiting the performance.

The age range of the spectators was striking—from the young to the not-so-young (your humble reporter placing himself in the former group while probably being more realistically associated with the latter), who were all active participants in the show.

The band took the stage at approximately 10 p.m. They opened with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s "All Along the Watchtower," which drenched the spectators with numerous riffs of sonic waves and self-indulgences by the musicians. It was a memorable number that provided the band with ample opportunities for showcasing their individual instrument’s range.

They continued with some new material that was performed with accuracy and ease. Leighton acknowledged that they had just delivered the goods from their new material, which enabled me to reason the seemingly surgical performance for the initial 15 minutes of the show — I say surgical because it appeared to me somewhat over-rehearsed, that there might have been some tentativeness on the part of the band.

That minor criticism certainly does not describe the rest of their first set or any of their late set. The band appeared to have completed their "business" for the evening and began to come into their own by, in essence, merging with the crowd through interaction and becoming free to make the show less of a studio session and more of a live rock ‘n’ roll show with all the accoutrements

I consider myself a discerning music lover and have been critical in the past with new commercial bands that do not contribute anything new to the music experience. However, a live set by a group of outstanding musicians who are having a good time during their performance breathes new life into seemingly routine rock ‘n’ roll.

gb Leighton was certainly up to the task. Their sets were an excellently balanced presentation of original material with a few cover pieces that really knocked my socks off.

Leighton took center stage in a stirring performance of Prince’s “Purple Rain” that was absolutely wonderful—not everyone could pull off a Prince cover in the purple one’s hometown. gb Leighton, however, had that perfect balance of truth and originality. Leighton’s vocals soared, and the music filled the room as the crowd swayed to the lilting meter of the number.

Covering songs is considered by some a bore; but to me, a really good cover explores aspects of the composition that the original artist can even appreciate. When I recognized the riffs emerging as the band took on Velvet Underground’s "Sweet Jane" I was immediately impressed, not only by the performance, but by the selection of a number that might not be recognizable by your average local music lover.

The selection of a song to cover says a lot about the artists performing the number. gb Leighton’s rendition of "Sweet Jane" was another masterpiece that I suspect would bring a smile to the ever-sour looking Lou Reed.

The break between sets did not dampen the band’s energy or enthusiasm. They returned to the stage and again began to deliver the goods to the crowd.

gb Leighton is difficult to compartmentalize into any one musical category. Their wide variety of music ventured into folk, country, bluegrass and rock ‘n’ roll, while never perching on any one category for any length of time.

I would just call gb Leighton a great rock ‘n’ roll band that offers tasty musical morsels for fans of all types of music.

If you like live music, you’ll love gb Leighton. Visit the band’s official Web site at http://www.gbleighton.com for more information on their upcoming performances.