The Shakes & Pony Show @ Moe’s Lounge 1.20.2012

Thank goodness this is the final night of The Shakes & Pony Show residency at Moe’s Lounge. I’m getting tired of Rod and Jason’s mind games. I’ve been to all three shows and I still can’t figure out what the hell a Shakes & Pony Show is. Sometimes it’s a crazy mix of cover tunes. That was fun. Sometimes it’s Brownboot. That was fun, too. Tonight it’s Rod and Jason playing some ’80s power ballads. That was… oh, I get it now.

Brownboot @ Moe’s Lounge 1.13.2012

So…

It’s night #2 of the Shakes & Pony Show residency at Moe’s Lounge. There’s a band on stage*. I think Shakes is the drummer and Pony is the Nikki Sixx-looking fella playing Gene Dante’s guitar. This night was also billed as Rod, Jason & Friends doing the songs of Brownboot. It sure sounds like Brownboot.** Maybe Rod and Jason’s friends should start a Brownboot tribute band.

Oh, hey! It is Brownboot! There are a couple of new players here, but the songs remain the same. Elena Siegman (vocals) and Randy Knight (bass) join Rod Van Stoli, Jason Baldock, Matt Sullivan and Joe Kowalski in their ’70s rock n’ soul crusade. Someone has to fight the good fight.

* …and floor…

** …or some kind of foot stompin’ acoustic variation there of…

The Shakes & Pony Show @ Moe’s Lounge 1.6.2012

Rodrigo Van Stoli and Jason Baldock were tasked with opening Moe’s Lounge* with a bang. The duo cooked up a residency where they would pick a different theme for each night** and assemble a ragtag group of local rockers to help them pull it off. Night one was Mixtape-Mixtape night, where the gang*** performed selections from the various nights of the MixTape series they’ve been involved with. What you ended up with was a mishmash of covers spanning decades. A couple of highlights were some great interplay between Rodrigo Van Stoli and Rona Mattocks on “Beast Of Burden” and a snappy cover of Robert Plant’s “Tall Cool One”. The night ended with a “Daydream Believer” singalong.

Welcome to The Shakes & Pony Show…

* Moe’s Lounge is downstairs at Radio. Seeing a show there is like hanging out in your friend’s basement. Good times.

** To find out what’s in store for the rest of the residency, check out this amazing poster by the wonderful and talented Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative.

*** Which at various times included 2/3 of Brownboot, 2/5 of Sidewalk Driver, 1/5 of The Future Everybody, 1/6 of Fit To Be Tied, all of Tad & Kate and 4/5 of Bright Lights, Big Rod.