Friends, family and people out looking to enjoy local Seattle music on a decidedly mild Saturday night packed the sold out Nectar Lounge in Fremont to celebrate the release of Cody Beebe and the Crooks’ debut album, Friends of the Old Mill. The audience on the main floor were packed in tight; more were enjoying drinks upstairs while overlooking the stage in anticipation. The retractable garage door, stage left, was made for nights like this. It opened up to the outside seating area and allowed some to stand outside with the stage still clearly in view.
As an introduction, Cody Beebe and the Crooks are a Seattle roots-rock band with roots at Washington State University. The band members bring their diverse musical styles and influences together in a fusion of rock, country, Americana, funk and blues to create a sound at the same time familiar and unique. They build around the foundation of Cody Beebe’s (vocals, acoustic guitar) energetic acoustic sound. Chris Green (drums), Joe Catron (djembe, percussion) and Eric Miller (bass guitar) comprise the tight rhythm section while Aaron Myers (piano, keys) rocks the keys and Greg Floyd (guitar) shreds on intense guitar solos.
Cody Beebe and the Crooks brought in tow a couple great opening acts. Tommy Simmons, a Seattle by way of L.A. and Pullman musician, brought his acoustic singer-songwriter pieces to the stage to start the night off right. Simmons sounds like a cross between Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, his songs incessantly melodic and catchy. He got his start performing with Beebe over at Washington State University. “Got You by the Soul” is an aggressive number reminiscent of Jason Mraz, complete with a scat singing outbreak towards the end. Simmons shared an extremely personal story about “San Diego.” It was written when he was down in L.A. and tells of making a mixtape for a drive down to the titular town after he found out his mom was diagnosed with leukemia. Another highlight was “Joseph,” about a ghost in Simmons’ house. His bassist was consistently making weird faces and gestures that were every bit as entertaining as the music.
The second band to hit the stage was Andrew Vait and the Eternal Fair. They blew me away, sounding like a much more seasoned band than their short time together would indicate. “Brightest Star,” a brand new song, kicked off the set. Andrew Vait entered with a high pitched vocal at times nearing a falsetto comparable to Jeff Buckley. It became clearer as the set carried on that Vait can wail with the best of them. They switched it up effortlessly, shifting between styles and keeping the audience engaged. On “Give Me Any Other Night (but Friday Night)" they indulged their hair metal/Journey side, and “Ballad of Ray Lamone” sounded like a number from the best of Collective Soul.
After the two exceptional opening acts, Cody Beebe and the Crooks took the stage to anticipating, screaming fans. The Nectar Lounge was theirs for the taking. They kicked off the set with the full band funk jam “Change of Pace,” which lives up to its name by starting out loud, slowing down, going softer and then returning to full volume. The bluesy, acoustic “Hurricane” showcased Beebe’s gritty, rootsy vocals. At any one time, up to five band members provided vocals to flesh out the sound.
As the set progressed, more and more of the audience took up dancing in the limited floor space . “The Aftermath” provided room to showcase Myers on the keyboards amongst the galloping countrified rhythm perfect for tapping toes and getting a dance on. They then slowed it down a little with the hand percussion of Joe Catron on “Waiting On You.” It started out slower and quieter before blossoming into a melodic wall of sound.
Cody Beebe and the Crooks appeared to genuinely be enjoying their night up on stage, and their appreciation was evident in Beebe’s constant acknowledgment of and shout outs to the audience.
“Fireworks” showcased the traditional country side of the group. This one could go up against Heartbreaker-era Ryan Adams and put up a damn good fight. The guitar work of Greg Floyd was highlighted here with a solo that perfectly substituted for the vocals. At times Floyd’s guitar seemed to talk.
Other highlights of the set included the heavy rocker “Perfect Day,” the ballad “Evelyn” and the epic, war questioning jam appropriately titled “War.”
Closing out the set was their signature cover of the Jimi Hendrix tune “Voodoo Child.” Floyd was let loose again to shred to his heart’s content as Beebe belted out the vocals and the entire band gave it their all to give a fitting end to an amazing night. After this show, I’m sure Cody Beebe and the Crooks can count a few hundred more people amongst the friends of the old mill.
