Byron Nash, guitarist/vocalist in several Pittsburgh bands and projects, has been very excited about his new collab with Jules Powell and Justin Brown. I needed to check them out, but it turned out there was a new pop-up venue to discover as well. Hear Corp of Carrick is producing a Music on the Mon series at Southside Works, replete with food/bev trucks, mulch for grass, and instant seating. As always, a Nash-fronted band put on a high-energy performance.
Julz, of recent fame with the psych-funk outfit Starship Mantis, played percussion. Hill Jordan the trombonist tells me that bassist Justin Brown and keyboardist Howie Alexander joined forces in an early band.
There is always a reason to stick around for an act you never heard of. In this case, next on the bill was Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band. The first clues were the number of personnel on stage, the continental garb and the woman on sax. Joe himself is a former crack user who brings all of his new joy to the stage. The MD band was tight and much fun. One highlight was their funkified version of “People Make The World Go Round.” Where did all of this POC lineup come from? Many thanks to Hearcorp and Southside Works. The secret is out.
