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... by Joanne Corsano ... joanne@picturelake.com

Bob and Sharkey
click thumbnail to see a photo gallery
of the concert

Joziah Longo, lead vocals, guitar, harmonica; Tink Lloyd, vocals, accordion, flute, cello, sitar, melodica, theremin; Matthew Abourezk, drums; Sharkey McEwen, vocals, guitar, mandolin; Bob Torsello, bass guiar

I have noted in parentheses what instrument Tink Lloyd plays on a particular song. If nothing is noted she played the accordion. In one case ("Grand Slambovians") I noted that Sharkey McEwen played mandolin. On all the other songs he played electric guitar.

Lost Highway - Step Outta Time (flute) - Grand Slambovians (Sharkey: mandolin) - I Love Brooklyn Tonight {new song) (cello) - Enemies of Love (Joziah harmonica) - Very Unusual Head - a Dylan song the title of which I didn't write down - Beez (sitar) ... intermission ... Folsom Prison Pinball / I Wish - Windmills (accordion/melodica) - Pushing Up Daisies (cello) - Holy Rollers (ukulele) - Flapjacks From the Sky (theremin/accordion) - Trans-Slambovian BiPolar Express ... encore ... Golden Slumbers intro / The Invisible

Lost Highway

Flapjacks From the Sky

This was an exceptionally good show from the returning Slambovian magicians. They revived three of their classic chestnuts I hadn't heard in a while. The first of those was "I Wish," the song with a touch of country that is preceded with the crazy mashup that I call "Folsom Prison Pinball" since it's a cross between Johnny Cash and the Who. The second was the beautiful "Windmills," a song with significant relevancy to events of today's world, in which Tink's musical contribution is both ukulele and melodica. The third was a song that I heard the very first time I saw the Circus, back in 2009 when original drummer Tony Zuzulo was still in the band, that being "Flapjacks From the Sky," the song on which Tink plays the theremin. Now, boys and girls, Tink plays just about anything, but the theremin, now that's not your normal just-about-everything, and to top it off, Tink confessed that her usual theremin was lost in her house and that she had had to borrow an instrument she wasn't used to playing!

To the loud and enthusiastic audience's delight, the set list also included a new song, "I Love Brooklyn Tonight," on which Joziah coached the audience to sing along, although in conversation after the show Joziah confessed that he had written the song some years ago and it was only "new" to the band. Other top crowd pleasers included "Grand Slambovians," on which Sharkey got to show off his chops on the mandolin and the ever popular "Trans-Slambovian BiPolar Express."

Personnel tonight included Bob on bass guitar, but R.J. McCarty, who sometimes plays keyboards and banjo, was unavailable. Although R.J.'s contributions are of value to many of the songs, his absence can also make it easier to hear what Tink is playing, which is always a good thing.

The Spire Center for the Performing Arts is a great venue for the Circus. I have seen them here three times. Tickets on the floor had sold enough that the Spire had opened the balcony, so let's call it a sell-out, or close to one. The sound is exceptionally good, and the revolving colored lights during the show add to the excitement. The introduction to the band included a cute poem recited by a fellow who I learned later is R.M. McCarty, R.J.'s dad, the band's roadie! The audience was extremely into the show to their credit, even though when Joziah asked his usual question "how many of you haven't seen us before?", quite a few hands went up!

Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with content relating to all things Slambovia.