After playing a successful show at the Huntington Paramount days ago, Dirty Honey brought their “Can’t Find The Breaks” tour to Foxwoods Casino.
Supporting Dirty Honey was St. Louis natives The Band Feel. The night was the perfect revival of rock and roll by two young and hungry bands.
Between the hustle and bustle of the casino floor, the Great Cedar Showroom sits in the back. But, an hour away from showtime, fans were lining up at the merchandise booth to pick up memorabilia. This is Dirty Honey’s first time in Connecticut since their March 27, 2022 show at Toads Place. But, before the Los Angeles natives took the stage, at 8:00 sharp, The Band Feel jumped on stage. Due to the casino curfew, they had a shortened setlist.
Even though The Band Feel’s setlist was short, they didn’t let it deter them from introducing fans to their music. The quartet dressed as if the band was born in the 1970’s and their music matched. They played six songs that – by the end of the set – won the crowd over.
The quartet features T.J. Steinwart on drums, Tyler Armstrong on guitar, Garret Barcus on lead vocals and Kadin Rea on bass. The four-man group channeled in callings of the Golden Age of rock and roll. It’s easy to see why Dirty Honey would bring them on tour. A young band in Dirty Honey is giving another younger band (The Band Feel) a chance at a national tour and getting the word out there that rock and roll is here to stay.
After a stage change, quickly, AC/DC’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation” blasted on the speakers and Dirty Honey made their triumphant return to Connecticut. This was the first time that fans in the area could get a look at new drummer Jaydon Bean. Bean took over for original drummer Corey Coverstone after their debut record. With new songs in their arsenal, the band fully attacked the fans in the Great Cedar Showroom with material from their new record. It was refreshing to hear the band play music from their entire category and not strictly off one album or EP.
Joining Bean was singer Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto and bassist Justin Smolian. The latter three were the three original members of the band and have been the longest-tenured.
Their new material sounded great. As they plowed through their set, they alternated between older material and new songs. LaBelle’s vocals sounded just like the actual record. If you closed your eyes during the show, you could have been tricked that someone flipped on the record. They sounded great live.
Something new that has been incorporated in this show – which did not happen at the Toads Place show – was the band extending songs and jamming. During one of their classic songs, “Scars” they added an awesome extended jam. To see Dirty Honey get more comfortable exploring their music and adding diversity and freshness to their music is amazing.
Like The Band Feel, Dirty Honey dressed straight out of the 1970’s. It was almost like a crossover between The Black Crowes and Aerosmith. Also, their influences of classic rock and roll could be heard seeping through in their music.
One of the songs off the new record, Can’t Find The Breaks that was one of the standouts of the evening was “Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire).” Before the song started LaBelle announced to the audience that his father and some of his hometown friends were in the audience. During the song, it was extremely quiet, you could hear a pin drop. The audience was transfixed by the acoustic song that captivated the entire theater.
Immediately after “Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire),” they plunged into a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman.” This received a massive roar from the audience. Throughout the night, their logo blinked to the beat of the song creating a visual spectacle.
From the moment that the band got on stage to the moment that they sang their last song, they did not rest or slow down. Notto was running, duck-walking and arm-swinging the entire night. The smile on his face never waned as fans in front of him cheered and put up the rock and roll horns all night long.
Even though the lower bowl of the theater had seats, fans treated it like a general admission. For Dirty Honey’s entire set, they were standing, clapping and cheering. Fans and high rollers who sat in the front merged up against the stage to take a closer look at the band.
Dirty Honey is one of those generational bands that help revive a genre of music. The way they channel classic rock sounds and put elegant, modern twists on them is unforgettable. Even though this is their final leg of the tour supporting their new album, when the chance comes, you have to see them. Every year, their loyal following grows. It will be only a matter of time before they upgrade to the biggest venues in your area.
The Band Feel setlist: Find a Love, Call It What You Want, G Rock, What of Now, Goodbye Virginia, In The Garden
Dirty Honey setlist: Can’t Find the Breaks, California Dreamin’, Heartbreaker, Down the Road, Scars, Dirty Mind, Tied Up, Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire), Honey Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones cover), Don’t Put Out the Fire, The Wire, Another Last Time, When I’m Gone, You Make It All Right, Won’t Take Me Alive, Rolling 7s
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