Rockin' The Jersey Shore Vibe

The Keith Kenny Band - Todd's Dugout & Sports Cafe, So. Amboy - Nov. 21, 2007

Story and Photos By Phil Rainone

It didn't hit me until after Keith Kenny did a solo set before he brought the rest of the band on stage. FISSION - not fusion - is the right word to describe the type of music that Keith plays, at least according to the dictionary: "A cleaving of parts; the splitting of an atomic nucleus resulting in the release of large amounts of energy."

Nothing in his set, which lasted about 30 minutes, ended in a fixed resolution. Other than taking a moment to introduce a song or talk to the crowd, Keith punctuated, reverberated, and infatuated every moment of music with commanding gales from his guitar.

Last year Keith was one of the artists chosen to perform at the Asbury Music Awards. Around the same time, I was talking to Todd (owner of The Dugout), and he had asked if there was a "Jersey shore sound." Fast forward to this year after The Asbury Music Awards, where the bands that played and received awards ranged from singer songwriters, to punk, to alternative to hardcore, and pretty much everything in-between, and Keith Kenny's set at The Dugout. Todd hit it on the nose. He said that it's a "Jersey musical culture." It's a heritage, a feeling, a vibe, a musical mojo that extends North, East, West & South, inspiring bands, and fans who enjoy extremely original music.

This night, Keith - at times along with the crowd - got lost in the music. A sharp-edged version of AC/DC's "TNT Dynamite" was like a wake-up call as the crowd joined in unison, fists puncturing the air, chanting the refrain, "Oi!- Oi!- Oi!"
His blue-eyed souled, acoustic version of Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack," was loose, focused, and fun. Mixing new and old favorites, Keith was a blur of tones and noises that all worked beautifully together! "Roxbury Tale," about a friend who had died, seemed to be the centerpiece of this set. The times I've seen Keith plays the last two years, he seems to put a little more passion and perspective into the song each time.

Otherwise, Keith took off on convulsive solos, and melodic shorthand which pointed the way through the rest of his set, but you never knew when to expect Keith to return and start over, as rhythms blurred from one song to another.- And that's what makes his shows so much fun time after time!

During the break, a couple of no-neck neanderthals threw on about a dozen country songs on the jukebox, which unfortunately, they knew the words to, which is almost as bad as Karaoke. C'mon son, watered-down country ain't nowhere's near cool, ya gotta rock the jukebox once and a while!!


Ok, I feel a lot better now that I got that off my chest. So out comes the band and they proceed to play some amazing jams that are Crazy Horse-worthy! The psychedelic rebellion of new songs like "The Rounds" or "Trust Me" are rooted in rock, with tinges of country's roots. The rhythm section of Jonathan Luberecki-bass, and Tyler Chiara-drums, uses broad, bold strokes as they crash, smash, and mesh with Keith's slicing guitar angels.

They've been road testing songs for the band's new album that should be out in early '08, and Keith's been asked to go to Anaheim, CA to perform a showcase for N.A.M.M. this coming Spring. This is a band that when improvising on stage seem to believe that, if you trust in the inspiration of the moment, it will take you somewhere compelling. Mixing metal, noise, and the blues into a song like "Bedrock," was like seeing thin, wild mercury moving to the music. The band incorporates a variety of different musical languages as seamlessly as they incorporate different musical cultures. A genre-bending performance that can switch gears on a moments notice. The Keith Kenny Band's incredible upbeat music is a party for your ears and for your soul!

For upcoming show dates and more info, check out www.keithkenny.net