Low Cut Connie has long been a force of nature. The criminally underrated Philly rock outfit is the brainchild of Adam Weiner, its piano-playing frontman who has shepherded the band through its various eras and evolutions over the course of a decade. In its current state, Weiner has brought the band to a place that feels less close to the band’s barroom punk roots than it does to more of an E Street ensemble type of setup. This can be heard all over the band’s new album ART DEALERS (REVIEW), which feels like one of Weiner’s most collaborative efforts yet. Low Cut Connie is currently on a tour supporting that album and hitting some of their biggest venues to date in the process. On Thursday, September 14th the Philly rockers made a stop in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for a rousing show at The Met.
Taking the stage by storm, the band came out of the gate rocking with the older tune “Back in School” before getting into the new album with the big and swaggering “Sleaze Me On.” Throughout the show, Weiner impressed the crowd with his signature stage antics that included jumping, stomping, and dancing on his piano as well working his way through the audience (a true man of the people). “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” was deep and soulful with Will Donnelly adding his spicy guitar flourishes and background vocalists Abigail Dempsey and Amanda “Rocky” Bullwinkel putting it all on the line. The band showcased their power as a unit as they leaned into covers like The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting For The Man” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Hold Me.” But the real magic and power came in the Connie originals. “Are You Gonna Run” was a Tom Petty-style rocker and a major standout as was “Revolution Rock and Roll,” the latter being a true singalong anthem. “Shake It Little Tina” was a true stomper that scorched before the band left the stage to let Weiner play solo piano versions of “Private Lives” and an odd-yet-fun cover of “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie. When the band returned, they got straight down to business with some of the most explosive moments of the night, delivering a massive punch of rock and roll that included “Dirty Water,” the hugely catchy “Beverly” and the rowdy classic “Boozophilia.”
Low Cut Connie has always been an evolving project for Adam Weiner and Thursday’s performance made it clear he has come a long way from the days of unhinged dive bar rock and roll. They did give the audience a taste of the Connie of yore when they encored with the always wild “Rio” played fast and loose, but for the most part they displayed more of a refined, full-band sound that was big and soulful. Though the stage antics have become more of a theatrical production than a spontaneous burst of excitement, Weiner and his band made it loud and clear in Rhode Island that they are one of the finest purveyors of true rock and roll performance currently making music and touring.
