Show Review: Tucker Woods Album Release at Heaven Can Wait. March 16th, 2024.
----------
With support from The Bluechips and Fellow Feeling
March 16, 2024
How far is Heaven? For us it was a 30 minute trip on the A and the L train to 169 Ave A. Our dishes could wait but we could not wait to get to Heaven Can Wait to see Tucker Woods, The Bluechips, and Fellow Feeling. Tucker Woods was celebrating the release of their new album Sunshine Blues and a general sense of celebration was in the air. Spring prepares to bloom in New York City.
We arrived at the tail end of Fellow Feeling's opening set. Their alt rock was clean and down the center. The stage is almost comically small so part of their performance was the balancing act of making sure the four musicians didn’t strike each other with their instruments. No sooner did we think this did they invite a fifth member onto the stage to sing. Then for the last song, invited a sixth member to join. Packed liked sardines one of them got on the microphone to declare “Someone up here stinks... I think it’s me!”.
As a power trio The Bluechips scaled down the number of bodies on stage. Close your eyes though and you wouldn’t believe it. Their sound seemed infinitely larger than a three piece. This can be easily done through straight up loudness but The Bluechips proved their talent by doing it through expert musicality. Drummer doubled as lead vocalist. Guitar could do it all; rhythm, shred, solo, sing, predict the future. Bass was thick yet nimble. A moment of musical maximalism was captured when all three sang a line “I don’t know”. There are things we don’t know, but what we do know is that The Bluechips rock.
We’re coining a new genre right here and now and calling it “slick garage”. Tucker Woods's sound felt like it belonged to a long lineage of Rock and Roll. It was classic yet original, like the best burger spot you’ve ever been to. All members were locked into the moment. The second song burst open with an awesome surf intro, this band could wrangle all different kinds of grooves and rhythms. They played several numbers off their new album Sunshine Blues.
A three bill show is as easy as A, B, C, 1, 2, 3 but was over much too soon. Connect with these bands on social media below and come rock along at their next show!
