Music Review- Mr Burt & Mr Dolly at Mellow Mushroom

The band, Mr Burt and Mr Dolly (kudos to you if you get the reference) was pretty good; despite being new to playing together, and being only a drum set and an acoustic guitar (and two guys of course), and having almost no audience. The minimalist approach was appropriate for the venue.

The acoustics in there aren't the best for anything heavier, but I am glad someone is hosting live bands that I can check out without a cover charge. I don't do bars or clubs, so a restaurant hosting is a good thing. This could totally work for them to draw a bigger crowd if more planning (and perhaps marketing) goes into it.

They played some covers, and some original work. It was clear that they weren't seasoned entertainers, but even bands with thousands of fans sometimes screw up. Considering the very few flubs that were made, I thought the promise of them being 'very good' was fulfilled. They had a distinct southern rock chill feel to them, which is one of my favorite genres.

The drummer wasn't flashy and distracting as they sometimes can be. A few times the rhythm was off, but it's something that I, as a poet, pay more attention to than a typical audience member. Good drummers are hard to find, and this one did a satisfactory job- had they practiced more together beforehand I think the slip ups would have been less obvious, if not entirely absent.

The guitarist/vocalist, despite having a late start to playing the guitar, has a lot of talent. He wasn't afraid to tackle something new instead of staying in his comfort zone, and that should prove beneficial. The musicians who refuse to change and grow are not the ones who are remembered well. His vocals were well done; the acoustics made it harder to understand the lyrics, but what I caught was not cliched. His own songs were a little on the short side, by perception only, but that could be because they were catchy enough that I wasn't eager to have them end. As a serial station-surfer, I am hard to please.

It can be hard to please an audience with cover tunes, because if you play someone else's music with your own style, you can be hated or revered and you never know which. I was impressed with how the vocalist handled the end of "The Weight" by The Band without the aid of technology. Parts of Merle Haggard's tune "Hungry Eyes" seemed to be a little below the singer's range, but it could have been nerves- a key change would have helped. The two loosely weed- themed selections, Van Morrison's "It Stoned Me" and "Don't Bogart Me" from Easy Rider were classic and amusing.

The highlight of the evening was his interpretation of "Patience" by Guns N Roses. I'll admit I was (and still am) a fan, but I preferred this vocalist's smoother tone to Axl's sometimes grating and nasally one. It's a beautiful song, and he did it more justice than Axl ever did. The only drawback was he could only play one of the guitar parts, and part of the beauty of the song is the harmony and interplay. Since it would have been physically impossible to recreate without another musician or a recording, I can forgive that quite easily.

Although I wasn't blown away, I can see the potential- especially if the pair has more of a chance to play together and maybe expand with a few other members.

It was a very enjoyable night, and I will return to the 'shroom next week to review Mellow Soul. Maybe this time I can bring my husband (who is also musically inclined) because my mother & her cousin will be visiting and they can watch the kids!