After a long and depressingly cold winter it’s nice to finally have some warm, sunny weather to the city we call home. With the emergence of the lovely spring weather, comes the return of great live music season! As Coachella’s annual music and arts festival kicks off out west, it’s up to the local bands to hold down the fort back here in New York. I was invited by a friend to check out an upcoming guitar band playing the early show at Bowery Electric on Friday in celebration of the release of their new EP, Revisions. I was pleased to discover that it would be an invite worthwhile.
The four-piece band paraded through all five songs off the new album, in addition to some old originals. The leader of the four-piece parade, singer/rhythm guitarist John Schmergel, reminded me of a young Bruce Springsteen with his on-stage antics, energy, and ability to blend the band’s distorted sound with his crystal clear vocal ability. As the band powered through their hour-long set, they showcased the first single off the album, ‘Left To Survive’, as well as my preferred favorite, ‘Giant Neptune’.
They closed out their set with the jam-like ‘May Day, Son’- a catchy and energizing song that varies in tempo, dynamics, and built around a guitar riff that successfully mixes and matches 70s guitar riffs with modern pop-rock. Two talented background singers complimented the band for the evening, which really gave the guitar players the depth needed to really take the Corduroy machine for a ride. If you mix Radiohead, My Morning Jacket, and of course the energy and showmanship of The Boss in Schmergel, you have what could be a great emerging band. Who needs Coachella and all those hipster wanna-be-music-fan teenagers when you’ve got corduroy anyway?
Article by Tom Shackleford
