November 3, 2010 Café Cordial in Sherman Oaks
The Big Joe Hurt Band performed at Acoustic Cordiale, a Wednesday night staple in the Valley for audiences interested in hearing strip down versions of there favorite indie bands music. If you are a Los Angelino you may have heard of the Big Joe Hurt Band, 7 amazing musicians with an ecclectic flair for putting on a great show and who have also drawn comparisons to Ozomatli. The heart and soul of this band is obviously Big Joe. Not just because his name brands the band but because as he goes on stage so does his band. I’ve now seen TBJHB at the Mint in West Los Angeles and now in an acoustic setting. The energy of the band is no different whether the band is plugged in or not. Tonight the crowd in Sherman Oaks was treated to a more personal side of the band. The band, the crowd, and the atmosphere were charged and alive.
On stage: Joe Hurt with a sexy, thrilling voice and soulful guitar, Alana Lee, Aryiel Hartman and Alina Smith three powerful vocalists, dressed like traveling gypsies. Add the quirky Alex Platt, the drummer responsible for the bands characteristic vibe, Alex Romero and Gabe Rosenn, on bass and guitar. Aurelius DeMarco on the saxophone. On any other night the core of their music is electric guitars, bass, and drums. Tonight they presented a vibey acoustic arrangement of their tunes. With a very fun and playfully untamed stage presence, the band played soul, blues, and reggae inspired tunes with the same intense beat and energy that the band has built their reputation on. I rarely see an audience watch an unsigned band so intently, the band managed to capture the ears of all in the room.
Hartman, Smith and Lee added a sweet texture to Big Joe’s Soulfully charged voice in the ballad “Curtains.” Curtains is lyrically a country tune placed in the body of a soul tune. Big Joe shows a rather unique ability to fuse genre’s without compromising the bands sound. The songs chorus beautifully resonated with me and life.
It feels like the curtains are coming down on you
Icebergs are melting the weathers changing too
I feel like I'm Oceans; away from you
I asked Big Joe how he would describe the members in the band and how they work together? “It’s like a good gumbo. Each flavor and spice you add to it makes the gumbo pop in your mouth. My band mates add their flavor to the tunes and make them come alive.“ Wednesday night, the flavors blended into a tasty “Fusion soup.”
The most endearing thing about this LA band is that they are not your typical LA band. Big Joe and his crew gave kudos to West of Now and The Ki Project through out there set offering up their information more than their own. This band knows how to make you feel like you are at home. Tonight was like being invited to a family affair and the Big Joe Hurt band was hosting the party
Anita Juarez
SD READER
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