Saturday, April 13, 2013

Maybe The Best Band in Shreveport Right Now Is...

Steve and I popped over to the Elks club last night to catch a couple of sets by the Soulfish Blues Band; I wrote about them last summer, if you recall.  Almost a year later, they are in fine form, fine voice, and ready to take on the Shreveport music scene.

Shreveport has a long, long history of great music and musicians and there are a lot of great local bands currently playing around town.  We enjoy several of them and catch them when we can.

Let me just say that Soulfish Blues Band is probably one of the best bands playing in Shreveport these days.  If you get an opportunity to see them, go.  You won't be sorry.

Gary Huntsman on lead guitar used to play with Percy Sledge; he's fabulous.  He can play anything.  Bruce Procell on drums is great, Bill Allen on bass guitar (and some vocals) is entertaining with his dry wit as well as his musical skill.  And lead vocalist Julia Dunning will take your breath away.  Her sultry voice and rhythmic dance moves are captivating.

The band clearly has a good time on stage together and work well together.  Between Julia's dance moves, Bill's jokes, and the occasional paternal eye roll by Gary, the band puts on a great show.  I looked up once last night and saw Julia playing with Bill's hair and patting him on the head as he sang.  They have a good time, put on a great show, but are consummate professionals.

They don't play the same old songs everyone else does.  Don't expect to hear "Mustang Sally."  A typical set might include the True Blood theme song, "You and I" by Lady Gaga, "Hear Me" by Sena Ehrhardt (and Julia just CAN'T be still on that one!), "Paris" by Grace Potter, "Start it Up" by Robben Ford, a Bill Allen medley that includes "Wipe Out" and an unimaginable mixture of other hits (but it works!), and of course "Piece of My Heart" by Joplin which Julia just totally owns.

You can catch Soulfish at the Rumble Rally at Festival Plaza on Friday, April 26, and at the Going Green festival in Coushatta Saturday the 27th; they'll be at Sams Town May 9 and  they'll be playing at the American Legion on May 31 the night before the Floatilla and that event is open to the public.

Their website is here.  Facebook page is here.

Here's Grace Potter doing "Paris";  You need to see Soulfish do this one!



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