It’s the connection they establish with the audience, and their unassuming goofy attitude, which was born precisely since the moment they chose the band’s name after an age-old comedic joke to which Govan referred to as “the twelve-bar blues of stand-up comedy.” Beller and Minnemann took the leading roles in engaging with the fans in a really comedic banter, and even when Govan didn’t talk as much as his comrades did, his anecdotes enacted deafening laughter in more than one occasion. Nonetheless, what makes The Aristocrats truly special is not simply connected to their musical enormity, how impressively they weave and hold together fierce and off-putting time signatures and synchronized grooves, or how much energy their compositions exude. There are too many drool-generating and mind-numbing moments during their live set for me to be able to convey them with mere words. The abilities on display while these guys are tearing up are borderline insane, is truly hard to fathom how good they are, and you feel afraid to even blink while such onslaught of instrumental prowess pours in front of your eyes. Having an extraordinary guitarist who fluently and seemingly effortless blends fusion, metal, prog-rock, blues, and jazz a phenomenally diverse bassist who has worked with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani – and who’s upcoming and monumentally brilliant solo album Scenes From The Flood has gone straight to the selected group of my favorite ever instrumental albums, along with those of Jeff Beck, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Al Dimeola to name a few – and a human-octopus, a musical polyrythmic machine last-named Minnemann, the guy who developed a drum technique called “Extreme Interdependence” you are up to hear and watch one of the best all-instrumental bands of our times (or history to be completely accurate). Now, if you are reading this article, you probably know what to expect when this morbidly talented trio get their hands on their instruments. Definitely an act to follow and learn much more about.īy the time The Aristocrats appeared on stage, the audience was primed and ready for their fix of jaw-dropping and captivating instrumental passages sprinkled with a lack of seriousness. If you enjoy music that takes you in a journey, the The Travis Larson Band will embark you on a path that diverges from intricate and technical, to smooth and lush, to exotic and expansive. Their rendition of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on my Mind” might as well be the definitive version of that popular song, it was purely splendid. I certainly enjoyed the pacing of the set-list, astutely combining high-energy cuts interspersed with mellow, more spacey tunes. Musicianship was stellar, not focusing on shredding or showcasing blazing chops and mind-bending techniques – which they all three undoubtedly possess – but favoring melody and song structure above everything else. Skillfully combining elements from hard rock, fusion and blues, their music certainly reminded me of Steve Morse and Jeff Beck solo output, even more so beholding Travis’ impeccable technique and honeyed legato lines and his seamless interplay with Jennifer’s thunderous bass lines. Comprised of Travis Larson (guitar), Jennifer Young (bass), and Dale Moon (drums) this powerful triad surely gained several new entries to their fan-base that night. The night began with the presentation of another trio, The Travis Larson Band. The lights are very dim with mostly blue and orange tones to accentuate the warm and welcoming environment, enough for attendees to enjoy the spectacle, but defiantly hard for photographs, to the point I barely press the shutter of my cameras. The Funky Biscuit is an intimate live-music venue, with surprisingly good bar-type food and a delightful overall atmosphere, centrally located in Boca Raton. Fast forward to 2019, and after the release of their new album You Know What? guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller, and drummer Marco Minnemann took the chance to add a much-further south date to their extensive touring endeavors, and sold out the Funky Biscuit while in the process. The first time I saw these gentlemen playing live – back in 2013 at a small restaurant in Sanford, Florida – there were hardly 50 people in the crowd. That’s the way I felt last Thursday night, when a clamoring crowd welcomed the Three Caballeros of instrumental progressive-fusion rock (aka as The Aristocrats) to their first ever show in Boca Raton, Florida. An irrefutable feeling of satisfaction stems from the fact of witnessing hard-working and uber-talented musicians to conquest audiences and sell out venues despite the chaotic state of the music business nowadays.
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