Anyone who combines quick wit and slick guitar playing doesn’t need much more to win over a crowd. Especially if his name’s Ian Saint Pé. After roaming around the world and playing guitar on its stages for the last decade with the Black Lips, Saint Pé wanted a change. So he recruited a gaggle of Atlanta’s finest, each having cut their teeth in their own respective rock bands, hit the studio, then hit the road. After a 15 hour drive, the band took their first of three CMJ performances on Thursday, but shoddy sound at the venue didn’t allow for the band’s unique elements, particularly the harmonies, to shine through. However, the following night was a different story.
The crowd, now triple in size from the night before, enveloped the band as they beamed with confidence, only to be reassured by the reaction in front of them: moving, grooving, mosh pits and all. It was an obvious outcome with tracks like “Kiss It Goodbye” and “We Follow,” replete with their infectious guitar motifs and power-driven bass and drums. By the time the Nashville-tinged “Southern Living” rolled around with its ragtime-y piano workings, it was obvious the band was on another level. We were too. READ MORE…