To celebrate the release of The World’s Greatest Sinners debut CD Ten Before Eight, frontwoman Jordan Valentine has booked a jam-packed bill capped off by a guest-studded two-hour Sinners set. It’s a high-powered weekend for the Sinners; last night a listening party at Great Scott preceded tonight’s raucous line-up of butt-shaking party music. The Silver Lining easily charms the early-evening baseball crowd. Unless I’m mistaken, the older gents at the end of the bar sporting gray beards and secret smiles are transported back to a time when they braided their long hair, wore mood rings and danced shoeless in muddy fields to the sweet sounds of freedom rock. The band owned them by the time they rolled into their swinging sing-along “Well Dressed Blues.”
Advancing the theme of retro-rock made fresh through re-discovery, The Allrighters deliver a weirdly appealing set of screamo-billy. Like a pared-down tag-along of the Kings of Nuthin’, this four-piece puts streetpunk vocals, baritone sax and upright bass together with nutty karate movies and abusive intra-band banter. “Gimme that,” the bass player says, reaching for the sweat-mop towel. “Why,” quips frontman Andrew, “so you can wipe your negativity on it?” A fun act, worth seeing.
Like their R&B forebears, the Sinners aim to BRING IT, and they do. An unlikely darling of Boston’s indie scene, this tribute band’s entire goal is taking R&B lost classics and pop tunes to a whole audience.
Tonight’s phenomenal set seems to fly by as first one and then another guest vocalist joins the core band, placing his or her indelible stamp on each tune. Standouts are sexy Rod van Stoli crooning “Help Me,” the charming duet with Shaun Wolf Wortis and Jordan, John Powhida’s unhinged “We Can Work It Out,” and Ad Frank’s writhing rendition of “Are You Doin’ Me Wrong.” The topper is the reprisal of the belt-along “River Deep, Mountain High” with the inimitable Andrea Gillis and Anna Price, a number these girls first did at the Lizard Lounge a few months ago. Wow, what a night! The radiant Jordan owns the room, Tony Savarino’s guitar sears, and the twin horns from Andre and Andrew sizzle. The band is so fiery, tight and perfect that it’s unbelievable that sit-in guests Joe Kowalski (a former full-time Sinner on organ and piano) and drummer Tony Dintino only rehearsed a time or two. Of Tony, Jordan jokes “We just found him out by the T stop and he happened to know all the songs.” She's a dynamic soul mama and makes us all her bitches.
Oh, by the way? These Sinners not only rock, they have style. Jordan Valentine has selected a gorgeous strapless gown and upswept ‘do, the perfect look for tonight’s grand celebration and one which complements her band of dark-suited guys perfectly. (Lexi Kahn)
(From The Noise, Issue 263, July 2006)
Uploaded to Youtube by LexiKahn
on Jul 19, 2006
The World's Greatest Sinners performing the Ray Charles classic "Mess Around" at their CD release party in June 2006.
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