News, Show Recaps September 14, 2015

BLUES TRAVELER & MATT JAFFE JAM LIKE MAD AT IRVING PLAZA

A New York concertgoer is no stranger to the cool smolder of Irving Plaza’s chandelier lighting, and the hushed excitement building up to the first note of the night. But even the regulars were blown backwards by Matt Jaffe and Blues Traveler, who nonstop wailed in a retro-rock haze.

A packed house greeted Matt Jaffe & The Distractions (a nod to Elvis Costello’s first backing band, The Attractions), who already have a couple claims to fame. Jaffe was discovered at an open mic at just age 17, by none other than Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison. Shredding at age 20 now, his sound evokes a seasoned rocker, his influences varied and rich.

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

 

With a special kind of stage presence (think Marty McFly at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance), Jaffe and band charmed with power-pop, ramblin’ man songs like “Blast Off,” “Mothership,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Wanna Be Cruel,” “Plastic Tears,” “No Hesitation,” and “Write A Song About Me.”
Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

Matt Jaffe & The Distractions

 

At some point in history, venues figured out that people like to drink at concerts. Then Irving Plaza figured out our weakness for specialty drink lists dedicated to the headlining band. So if you have no recollection of Blues Traveler’s set, you may have been slugging a Run Around (Vodka, peach schnapps, pineapple) or some Carolina Blues (25oz Bud Light + a well shot) beforehand. More power to you.
Drink List

Drink List

Luckily, press wasn’t drinking (haha), and Blues Traveler’s legacy of explosive jamming, circa 1987, lends itself to an easy recap. Main highlights include the band’s wild intensity, John Popper’s insane harmonica solos, and the audience’s “oh my god can you even do that with a harmonica?” expressions.
Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler


Blues Traveler’s soulful, Southern rock setlist showed off “Gina,” “Dropping Some NYC,” “Crash Burn,” “But Anyway,” “Top of the World,” “Thinnest of Air,” a cover of Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “Hurricane,” “Run-Around,” “Regarding Steven,” “Carolina Blues,” and “Hook.” When they whipped out “Castaway” and “The Mountains Win Again” for the encore, it was like 3 decades of applause had found its way back to them.
Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler

 

 

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