TEN TON MOJO/OFFICER X – LIVE AT THE CELLAR

It was a crappy Saturday night when my brother-in-law, Alan, and myself travelled to Pete Mould’s The Cellar On Treadwell in Hamden. We were off to see one of AMP’s favorite sons, Ten Ton Mojo. AMP has featured TTM several times in the past few years. The band sound is pure high energy. They attack every song with an invincible fervor. Ten Ton Mojo is comprised of Dave Anthony (Vocals), Scott Lano (Guitar) Christian Realmuto (Guitar), Kenny Madden (Bass) and Paul Kane (Drums). Also in attendance was their production manager, Kyle Brauer, who just happens to be the brother of a guitarist (Bruce Brauer-Dog Society) I had managed a long long time ago. Small world.

Alan and I were fortunate enough to be able to catch TTM‘s direct support, Officer X. I didn’t know much about the band but Pete told me that they were out of Boston and a band to watch. It seems they were in town recording new material, so this was an easy fit. Officer X is made up of Rodrigo van Stoli (Vocals/Guitar), Peet Golan (Bass/Vocals), Robbie Davis (Guitar) and Dave Barresi (Drums). Their music is strikingly different than Ten Ton Mojo but the bill was still cohesive. Their music embraces several different genres. Heavy yet melodic, Officer X splices together their hard rock and metal influences with modern techniques to create something authentic and fresh.

Most of their 8 song set encompassed tracks off their debut album, Hell Is Coming, released in 2022 on Winter Records. Every song had its own feel and the band’s musicianship and stage presence were crushing They opened with “Moon Man” and immediately the room was into it. Stoli is a consummate front man whose banter enthused the audience. His vocal range was unbelievable. Golan bass screamed with urgency. Davis’ guitar held a vibrant edge while Barresi’s percussions hammered with resolute vibrancy. “Incandescent”, “Red Prince” and “Hellfire” were definitely fan favorites. I believe “Watchers” and Lazarus” may have been new songs. Officer X ended their performance with a rousing “Lady Soledad”.

After a short break, Ten Ton Mojo hit the stage. The Cellar was brimming with excitement. TTM bring their “A” game whenever they are live. They opened with the audacious “Gotta Get That Love”. Right from the start you can see the band’s star quality. The entire band was on fire. Their huge hit “Karmalita” came next and everyone was feeling the heat. Anthony roped in the audience with his immense charisma. Lano and Realmuto’s guitars were voracious. The backbeat was kept supreme by Madden and Kane. Kane’s barreling percussions were relentless.

Anthony mentioned that Ten Ton would be putting out a new EP entitled Rebel Heart Gypsy Soul (Curtain Call Records) in June. A good portion of their set featured these new songs. “The Hurt”, “Broke Some Hearts In Memphis”, “Little Somethin'” and “Easy Come Easy Go” were hard hitting and extremely fiery. This is going to be an extraordinary release. All the new tunes were well received. Another standout was “Bad Love”, their 2022 balls on fire single. Ten Ton Mojo closed their set with a spirited rendition of “High Forever”.

We were able to catch a few songs of Hosemen’s set and Alan and I were both impressed. Hopefully we can see them at a future show.

All in all, a fabulous night of local original music.

To learn more about Ten Ton Mojo, check out their website

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