THE DEDICATIONS / DOCTOR ILL PLAY LIVE AT THE MIDWAY CAFE
By Rick Fleck
The Dedications and Doctor Ill play at the Midway Cafe in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston on a beautiful fall afternoon.
I am always excited to attend a concert at the renowned Midway Cafe in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. With a 3:30 start on a gorgeous fall day in New England, it wasn’t going to be a full house. It was a good-sized crowd, enthusiastic and attentive (no one on their phones.) It was a group of live music lovers willing to eschew the gem of a day just outside the club’s door, to immerse themselves in some good ol’ honest rock ‘n’ roll.
First to the stage was DOCTOR ILL. In the studio DOCTOR ILL is the one-man band of singer/multi-instrumentalist/producer/engineer Shogo Otsuki. On stage, Shogo plays guitar and handles vocals and is joined by bassist Jude Payne and drummer Wiley Dekker. DOCTOR ILL takes inspiration from literally everywhere, but the psychedelic rock of the late 1960s and early 70s, and the Delta blues of the 1920s and 30s, are prominently featured.
Shogo and the band kicked things off with his original song “Pretty Woman.” Many in the crowd appeared stunned to hear the Woodstock era, Carlos Santana-style guitar work filling up the room. It was a remarkable, attention getting way to start a show. The next song, “The Allston City Shuffle,” named for another Boston neighborhood, continued to focus on Shogo’s incredible guitar playing, featuring a long solo that brought to mind late ‘60 era bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin.
The Led Zeppelin influence is telling as much of their early work, like DOCTOR ILL’s, was influenced by the original Black American blues artists. DOCTOR ILL unleashed an incendiary cover of blues legend Son House’s song “Preachin’ Blues” which House recorded during a nine song recording session in 1930. It’s gratifying to see young artists rediscovering the roots of rock ‘n’ roll and how they incorporate the blues into their 21st century work. With “I Can Pretend,” the band found a groove reminiscent of the Doobie Brothers classic “China Grove.”
Photos Rick Fleck
DOCTOR ILL is not a classic rock band despite their often referencing the genre. They play much like a jazz trio or a Grateful Dead like jam band in the sense that all the players are free to improvise on stage. Any song can take unexpected directions. There were some pretty funky bass lines delivered by Payne. Dekker was a show in and of himself, swinging his arms and bashing the skins like Keith Moon. Dekker often left his drum set, walking to the lip of the stage and comedically interacting with the audience. DOCTOR ILL ended their set with another original titled “All I Want is Your Love,” an apt finale with its energy and virtuosity.
The Dedications are a group of rock veterans who got together to jam and found they had something special. The Dedications are vocalist/guitarist Steve Audy, guitarist Michael Avakian, keytarist Darrell Lambert, bassist Erik von Geldern, and drummer Don Schweihofer. The first song of the night was “Slow,” a melodic hard rocker with a Journey-esque guitar solo from Avakian. “Slow” made it abundantly clear that Audy was a rock ‘n’ roll showman, as he stood center stage under a spotlight and took control of the show from the first note.
Photos Rick Fleck
“Speak,” the first cut on their new album Neon Black Fluorescent White, retains the melodic approach, but has more of a Dinosaur, Jr. indie rock sensibility. Again, Audy was center stage captivating the audience. Showing their versatility, their 2023 single “Not Much Time,” tipped its hat to the grunge movement of the early ‘90s. “Empty House” injected a roots rock/country feel and Lambert’s keytar playing was prominent. The keytar was a fun novelty, but ultimately distracting. The distinctive keytar sound didn’t always gel with the rest of the band and while keys are, and should be, an integral part of The Dedications’ sound, sometimes deploying a traditional stand-up keyboard would be a welcome change.
“Shades” was a dynamic and powerful Rage Against the Machine/Nu Metal beast. “Someone Again,” a modern take on the iconic ‘80’s power ballad, proved The Dedications can play any style with flair, talent and, most importantly, originality. The final song of the night was “Practiced Lines,” leaving the crowd cheering and exuberantly applauding the band.
It’s evident seeing The Dedications that they are made up of a bunch of hard-working, rock ‘n’ roll stalwarts. It’s simply remarkable that this is only their second live show. They’re playing is top notch, the on-stage chemistry is strong, and I’m confident they’ll get even tighter over time. The Dedications are the essence of what it means to be, as Grand Funk Railroad sang back in 1973, “an American band
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