Concert Under the Stars—and these stars were bright, Spafford. Opening the night on the good foot with “Can’t Find My Vape,” demonstrating keyboardist Cory Schechtman’s ability to dance up and down the ivories. With drummer Nick Tkachyk and bassist Shon Gordon holding down the chill Vibz, we are certainly off to a good start!
Guitarist and vocalist Brian Moss addresses the crowd and simply says, “Let’s have some fun,” as they drop into “Nertrino,” sung by Schechtman. With this funky space bop, we take off to a mesmerizing groove. A small build into the 5:30 drop… This is Spafford! They are locked in a groove, respectively dancing in their own space as one. Close those eyes, surrender to the flow… Nothing makes me happier 😊 Mid-song, Jersey Moss steps in with a commanding solo, letting us know that when he says, “Let’s have some fun,” he means it! The 14:40 tempo shift is a happy-smiles lullaby that drifts into the familiar favorite known by all, “Swingtown” by Steve Miller Band.
Favorite jams are born in “Swingtown.” Tonight was no exception. Rousing cheers in the audience, dancing and singing under the stars on this absolutely perfect night. Spafford jams make me feel happy, on top of the world. If you’re not shaking your shit by this point, I’d be shocked. We get a soothing tempo shift at 13 minutes that drops into a funky beat by Tkachyk and muddy bass from Gordon. Jersey Moss, climbing to the top of this jam, rips us into an unexpected drop into “Ain’t That Wrong.”
“Ain’t that wrong, I wanna be myself, ain’t that wrong. Fuck no, it’s not, and I love preaching it in this one.” I hope you’re not tired yet because the energy is on high speed and in cruise control. Interesting tempo shift 6 minutes in—really cool groove they fall into. If you’re in headphones, Schechtman has a field day on your peripheral hearing.
“Be Strange” was a pleasant deep breath, hydrating moment. In walks “The Postman.”
With a subtle entrance, this composed gem has been around since an FTP on 10-06-2013 in Flagstaff, AZ, the band’s home state. The first 7 minutes is a crazed, composed build that drops into funky town. This is a journey. Go down the hole and pleasantly drift away. I told my 12-year-old daughter, who was attending her 1st Spafford show, “I’ll take you to the road, you make the paths.”
“How ya doing, kid?”
“I’m vibing back here.” 🥰
“The Postman” delivered the second cover for the night, “Down Under” by Men at Work. This is where we get a taste of the EDM side Spafford plays so well—not crazy, just fun. It’s a groove, unique from the past hour and a half’s awesome grooves. Moss drops back into the lyrics before they segued back into “The Postman” to bring this ride to a stop in 12 minutes.
That’s right, they jammed out our delivery dude, leaving 5 minutes for a quick “Minds Unchained” to close out the night. With a 10 PM curfew, the Concert Under the Stars successfully concluded a night for all to remember.
The show is available on Bandcamp and Nugs. Thanks for reading 🤓
