Chris Thayer Band at the Fender Center Rhythm Lounge

This weekend was the first opportunity I had to see the Chris Thayer Band live. Some of you might know Chris as his alias, Big Papa, from the jump blues band Big Papa and the TCB (BPTCB). And as much as i love BPTCB, The Chris Thayer Band is for me, much more exciting and genuine. It allows him to break out of the confines of the Jump Blues format, which, I might add, Big Papa does exceptionally well ( they open up for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy if that tells you anything).

The event held at the Fender Center Rhythm Lounge was very swanky indeed. For one, you can  actually sit and enjoy yourself, which for me is nice because, you know what? After years of moshing, then standing for hours watching rock acts, is a welcome relief. The atmosphere is  moody, the lighting is superb and the sound is brilliant. Plus, they have a wet bar to complete the lounge feel. I highly recommend attending an event there.

The night started off with Redlands own Matt Coleman who set up the whole event rather nicely with his personal blend of acoustic jazz, and soulful songwriting he candidly admits is inspired by the wonderful singer songwriters from the 70’s. I firmly believe that if he were around back then, he would’ve been a household name. Sadly, today that is much more difficult to pull off.

After a short intermission, CTB gets on stage and let me tell you, I was duly impressed. Like I said, it was the first time I actually head and seen him live outside of BPTCB and he was in his element. In fact, the entire band was superb. In this format, he lets go, and takes his music in several directions from ballads, to rockers, and even a little bit of Hendrix thrown in. The range and versatility of the songs was quite impressive and ultimately more satisfying than the straight blues format I am used to seeing him in.

Chris of course takes the front position he is so comfortable with and he is very well suited for it. In this outfit, he keeps the rhythm and it allows him to be free to lead the band without having to be the entire focus all the time. He is entertaining and a pleasant figure to watch perform as he always bears hi soul and has a great time doing so. He leads the band in a series of stops, tempo changes, subtleness and ferocity when needed.

Kevin Swan takes the role of lead guitar in this band with a tasteful blend of influences and does not waste a note. He is proficient and careful in his playing and can let loose with a pleasing array of notes; the perfect counterpoint to Thayer’s rhythm.

Then there is Mike Lawler, a ferocious bass player with enough funk to keep it down and enough sense to know when to keep it simple. His solo was entertaining and well played.

Derek Smith is the drummer and he is a powerhouse. His polyrhythms and backbeats are the driving force of the music and help to tie everything together. He is always doing something that compliments the music and is far from your basic rock drummer, his patterns and beats are all over the place and yet drives the entire monster in a very solid manner.

It’s not very often that you see a rock band that puts that much thought and passion in their music and performance, especially now In the days where most rock bands follow formula and every sound mindlessly bleeds into the next. Out of all the events that night going on in the Inland Empire, I feel I chose wisely by attending Chris Thayer Band and if the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction is any indication, they did too. The entire evening was a solid performance from Open to close and if you missed the show, I highly recommend making the CTB next on your list of must see live rock bands.