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| The Record Company @ the Fillmore (Photo: Ken McCain) |
The beauty of the sunset offset the traffic as I slowly made my way into San Francisco last night. I had one stop to make before my final destination, Fillmore Street. Even if I didn't have a gorgeous sky to welcome me into the city, my best friend always does. We've seen a lot of shows in San Francisco, and in particular at the historic
Fillmore Theater. From the thickly layered paint on the door casings to the thousands of posters that adorn the walls, just walking around the place before the show is a history lesson in and of itself. I think there is an air about this place that gets not only the fans excited, but the musicians feel it, too.
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| The Record Company's Chris Vos (Photo: Ken McCain) |
Friday night brought the Southern California based trio,
The Record Company, to town to throw down their brand of rock. They are a fresh face to the music world as headliners, though they've opened for some biggies along their path to the top of the bill. It's hard to categorize or label their style as one type. They incorporate heavy blues with a southern twist, along with punk, rock, and even funk. Lead singer Chris Vos takes most of the guitar duties as well, and brings his powerful, gravelly voice into the mix. Channeling their efforts, the rhythm section, Alex Stiff (bass) and Marc Cazorla (drums) complete the driving force behind the dynamic trio's sound.
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| The Record Company's Alex Stiff & Marc Cazorla (Photo: Ken McCain) |
After a short set by the opener, The Record Company took the stage around 9:45pm. They wouldn't give it back for the next hour and a half. We were thinking that it would be a short set since this is a tour supporting only their second album and the material would be thin. Oh, how we were wrong. They had plenty of material to choose from, and could play covers of anything at the drop of a hat. Along with that, their talent exceeded many expectations. In the blues genre, it is an inherent thing to take a song and extend it to any length as humanly possible. It's how the music is formed, allowing players to solo around chord progressions that loop in a cohesive way. They all do it, and these guys are well versed in it.
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| The Record Company's Chris Vos (Photo: Ken McCain) |
Talking to two young ladies I found they picked the show as the best thing to do on a Friday night. They didn't really know the band, yet they were out for a good time. I told them that this was a great place for that most nights. They enjoyed the music as they danced next to each other among the crowd. I'm sure they're both big fans now. I think, for myself, my total appreciation for the band came at the end. Not that what I saw and listened to didn't already capture me, but this took me by surprise. They ended the night with a cover of The Beastie Boys' "Sabotage". What?!?! Out of left field comes this NYC punk/rap song by SoCal rockers with a southern blues curveball. Wow, was I stunned and couldn't help but sing along. My buddy didn't really know the song, but I'm giving him a pass. Most others did know the song, showing the band much love by singing and bouncing around to the rhythm of the beat.
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| The Record Company's Alex Stiff and Marc Cazorla (Photo: Ken McCain) |
This was the first of two nights at The Fillmore in San Francisco, and the first dates of the tour. So there's still time to get to SF to see 'em before they take off! Check out their
schedule and see them when they come around to your town. They’re making a huge loop around the US for the next few months and will return to Southern California in early November.
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