THE DAVID ANDREWS BAND

David Andrews performed with his band at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. Though the concert seemed last minute, with around twenty audience members and no apparent advertising, Andrews and his band performed well, especially considering the eleventh hour addition of their new drummer, Dijulio. According to Andrews, his old drummer was forced to join another band at gunpoint. Andrews said he was bummed, but what could he do? In the game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” gun; trumps all. The old drummer had an offer he couldn’t refuse. New drummer Dijulio’s playing was one of the finer points of the evening’s performance, so Andrews need not worry. Ted Kamp played a mean guitar, but the talented Chris Murphy needs to tune his electric violin as he had a few musical missteps. Michelle Van Cleef supplied her lovely voice to accentuate David’s lead vocals. David switched instruments through the hour as he introduced songs, sharing a sentence or two about what inspired him to write each one. Mr. Andrew’s skill is beyond question. His performance is fine tuned. He has a pleasing voice that is a reminiscent blend of Bob Seeger and Bob Dylan with a Jackson Browne foam. Though his tunes are not uninspired, their inspiration lacks depth. Once while waiting at an airport he stared at a wool tapestry of birds for a long time. This inspired him to write his song “Stitched in Wool.” “Wedding Song”, “Eyes of Mine”, “2000 Miles Away”, “Take My Soul” were each prefaced by an equally banal tale. With such musical skill, too many simplistic songs became disappointing. The David Andrews Band has the potential for greatness, but their songs need more meat. Even the self explanatory “Wine and Sex Story” comes across as pedestrian in its winking edginess. Viewed as a band on the rise, (which they should be) David Andrews’ CD, “Get Me Out of This Place” is worth checking out. Though simple, there are no duds in the batch. Andrews himself is quite amiable. After the performance he made a point of thanking each attendee personally for coming out. It was then that he shared his drummer woes, and lamented the absence of good Oregon (his home state) beer. His smiling presence was a welcome shift from the 5 leather clad self important Knitting Factory thugs that cleared the room the minute Andrews finished playing. If he returns to Los Angeles, he deserves a friendlier venue and a bigger audience.

Jack Sanderson