Touring in support of Good to Be, their fifth full-length record produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), Illinois' Backyard Tire Fire swung through the venerable Middle East Upstairs for a quick, spirited set. Unfortunately, the superior quality of the music did not reflect the quantity of the crowd. Perhaps the word on these rockers hasn't spread to the dense Mass. Ave scene, because for all intents and purposes, the few of us there enjoyed a near private show.
With bright lights illuminating their faces and Budweiser tall boys in hand, Backyard Tire Fire launched into a killer set, featuring new songs from Good to Be, a few tunes from earlier albums, and a handful of covers. Highlights included "Road Song #39," which kicked off the show with their signature pure, raw rock groove and "Brady" whose inescapable hook I've been humming ever since I heard it live (seriously, it's been three days).
Showcasing their diverse skills, BTF seamlessly transitioned between danceable pop-rock grooves and intense but properly exploited guitar shredding. With personal lyrics and heartfelt performing, they write directly from life experience and their connection to the material --even the often covered "Cinnamon Girl" (Neil Young) and "Six Days on the Road" (Carl Montgomery)--was clearly genuine. [As an aside, bands as strong as BTF do not need to rely on covers. You're too good! Yes, you can rock them, but you've got too much of your own quality music to share. Leave "Six Days on the Road" for the sure-to-come big festival encore with Warren Haynes, but for now, rock your own.]
While I'm sure they would have preferred to rock a packed house--which they do often, I hear--I think BTF have their gaze set much further down the road than this little room. They've been pushing for a decade, and that sort of effort and determination is palpable in their sound. Don't look now, boys, but that turn in the road you've been driving towards might be closer than you think.
Set list:
01. Road Song #39
02. Ready or Not
03. May
04. The Sun
05. One Wrong Turn
06. Estelle
07. Downtime
08. A Thousand Gigs Ago
09. Cinnamon Girl
10. Only You
11. Learning To Swim
12. Brady
13. White On My Walls
14. Hell & Back
15. Six Days On the Road
