Bob Dylan, you missed out. In what ended up being part of the night’s ongoing joke between a jovial Elliott Brood and their fans at the Hotel Café, we were told they had asked Bob Dylan to attend their show. They even went as far as putting him on the guest list. Bob Dylan never showed up, fortunately for us, Elliott Brood did and left the Hotel Café stage and the few of us there, with a sense that Bob and everyone that did not attend this show truly missed out on a great, great show.
The thing about a night like this is that you are just left appreciating all that is around you. When you get a personal show from the dynamic Elliott Brood, you just have to get up, stomp your feet, bang on a drum, get silly, smile, hold unto to the person next to you and just let the music move through you.
So often you forge ahead on your journey in life. Yet the healing power, in all its uplifting brilliance, of live music plays a role helping rebuild yourself. Music will do so much more then sooth you or make you forget what ails you. Music will guide you to a warm place, where knowledge, smiles, and happiness, all things that elude us so often, are back, and at the forefront that makes you give thanks for all that you have. And along this journey, there are certain bands that you will never forget, your plight directly amped to their sounds, as if their music is carrying you through whatever you are dealing with. Elliott Brood is one of those bands.
In a show that included a pulsating source of beautiful folk rock, Elliott Brood delivered over and over again. The band’s energy was contagious and they were so pumped up to be in LA. So many times during their set I found myself silently thanking the flight crew that got them safely to LA for this show (considering they almost did not make it). We were so happy they arrived and let us in their world, even for just a few minutes.
The night’s set concluded with a roaring finale that included everyone in the audience being given their own wooden spoon and aluminum plate to help the band along. Old and young, cool and the unhip, across the Hotel Café, was a unity among us that left us connected to the band so deeply, so passionately. Looking around, I noticed tremendous smiles on everyone’s face. And it is always so much fun to beat the crap out of something with a band urging you to do it. I did not want the night to end. Even though Dylan missed out, the rich tradition of brilliant song writing and folk melodies would have impressed him enough to know these youngin’s truly have the power of a band on the verge of greatness. Lucky for us, we were there to see it all. The band is on tour right now and probably coming to your town, so give yourself a real treat and go see them!
Tags: Elliott Brood, Hote Cafe
