Review: Vibin’ on GSW @ Irving Plaza

Once again, the crowd made their voices heard during Waiting For The Tide as they sang the song’s solo-closing refrain in unison as guitarist Lo Faber ripped it up – a highlight of the evening. Other highlights included the gorgeous Bring Back The News first set closer, the raucous Wendy and the call-and-response-liciousness of Get On The Train.

The biggest complaint on a night when I had few about the music was the lack of jams. While we were treated to another masterful Gretchen solo by guitarist Aaron Maxwell, there was nothing that touched the group improvisation of last Friday’s Hellfire.

When GSW returned to the stage after a short encore break they busted out their version of Steely Dan’s Any Major Dude. I don’t think any band has influenced the quintet’s sound more than The Dan, so it was a fitting cover. Maxwell – who has one of the more unique voices in the scene – did a marvelous job with the vocals. A funky, Faber-led  Brickhouse followed before the group came out with a Thirsty capper for the second encore.

Irving Plaza wasn’t sold out which might not have been ideal for the band but was great for those of us who like our space. Looking around the venue you couldn’t help but note all the happy faces and Winos dancing together. A big cheer went up from the crowd after Faber announced that “a shitload” of money had been raised for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society over the course of the two weekends. This chapter of the God Street Wine story concludes tonight at Irving Plaza. We can’t wait to see how it ends.