At one point, Tuesday night’s performance at the M Room was deemed “The Urban Winter Apocalypse Show,” as bands were rocking inside for a handful of loyal supporters while blizzard conditions continued throughout the night outside. By 11:00 PM, snow had been falling in Philadelphia for more than 6 hours straight. But despite the weather, the very small audience, and one band member’s 101 degree fever, Adam and Dave’s Bloodline, Willie Breeding, and Thomas Eaton, made it all worth the trouble..
Most of those who did brave the weather were there mainly to see Adam and Dave’s Bloodline, and had seen them before. But if you happened to be hearing them for the first time, you might have wondered how these bands started playing together. Adam Garbinski and Dave Petersen (of Adam and Dave’s Bloodline) were the lead guitarist and drummer respectively for Philly native Marah. During this time they became friends with singer/songwriter Willie Breeding, who would frequently open for Marah. Breeding is a Brooklyn transplant from Kentucky, with a country/folk leaning and lyrics full of longing and heartbreak.
The night began with a short solo set from Breeding’s talented lead guitarist, Thomas Bryon Eaton. Breeding followed, supported by Eaton and Bloodline members Dave Petersen on drums and Kirk Henderson on bass and keyboards. I have seen Willie Breeding play solo acoustic on a few occasions, which built up my appreciation for his beautiful lyrics. But each time I heard him I would lament that his melancholy sound would leave me feeling dejected. This set was no exception, but it was great to hear him with some additional layers. The crescendos were really fleshed out by backing vocals and skilled guitar solos by Eaton. Nearly every song came from his recently released album, Cheap Vodka Rain.
Adam and Dave’s Bloodline are also set to release a new album in the coming weeks, entitled Boycott Classics. And Tuesday night’s set focused on this unreleased material as well as their EP, New Age Boredom. Their last song of the night, “Curating Disasters” was played live for the first time, noticeably pleasing those who already knew the rest of their catalogue. Their set was rather short, about 45 minutes, but they packed every second with potent rock n roll, song after song, as they do for every show. Encouragingly, the newer material, such as the unreleased songs “It’s a Crime” and “In the Zoo”, showed off a more dynamic and complex sound than previously heard on their debut, signaling an eagerness to embrace some new direction. The result is a band schooled in timeless pop, with catchy hooks to spare.
It’s always exciting to see Adam and Dave’s Bloodline again, because this is a band that gets better with every performance. Check them out at the M Room on Thursday night, February 19th with the Rarebirds.
