When The El Rey Theater is Sold Out, you know the place will be heaving and throbbing with the sound system and a 'too tight to dance' dance floor.
When it's Vintage Trouble that has brought in the audience, it seemed to raise the pulse of that wonderful old Theater to a frenzied level of high anticipation.
Ty Taylor is a miracle of body, mind and voice...so you have that from the get-go. Add in a singularly brilliant guitarist from Sweden, Nalle Colt (guitar & vocals), who magically seems to understand exactly how to deliver rich, American blues, rock & even gospel in a spellbinding way, it becomes something else...maybe that's the 'Vintage' part. Then, add in a rhythm section that is second to none; Rick Barrio Dill (bass & vocals) & Richard Danielson (percussion & drums & vocals)...well that's possibly the 'Trouble' part, but in the absolute best possible way.
Let me just say; if you've seen them on TV or seen any of their wonderful videos on You Tube, you have not experienced even a fraction of what you will feel when seeing these 4 excellent musicians in their own space, on their own terms.
I found that out on Saturday night.
Previously, I'd had the luxury of being introduced to their stage show in Ireland and was so blown away that I had to see them when they toured the US. Luckily they came home and so did I.
A vital bond between 4 souls sharing a stage is either there or it isn't. With Vintage Trouble, it is palpable. From songwriting to perfomance, it's just there. And, I can't shake their songs out of my head - the vocals and cohesive thunder of it all has me spellbound. I just love this band - I think it's the one I've been waiting for.
Although he's not a permanent member, a phenomenal bonus to the evening was the introduction and performance of Stax recording legend, Booker T. Jones. His history and their expertise created a symbiotic union that was remarkable on every level.