BIG DUME at Pub 181
by Kurt "Swingcat" Johnson
When first hearing Big
Dume's debut CD Inside My Head, this writer thought this is
pretty cool, a mix of alternative rock, an undercurrent of jazz and
some blues elements. Nice! And with a hottie blond lead singer, hmmm,
this could be a cool band to go see. So when covering their show
at Gresham's Pub 181, this writer was expecting a pleasant evening
of alternative rock and jazz. What they did was some of the grittiest,
greasiest, grimiest, grooving blues heard since covering blues and
classic rock bands. And that includes blues legends at the Waterfront
Blues Festival.
With a mix of heavy rock,
and very modern blues grooves they shook the crowd with shock and
awe. A three-piece band from Malibu, Calif., the band is Brandon
Jenner on vocals, guitar and keys; Leah Felder on vocals and keys;
and Chris Steele on drums and percussion. They also appear with guest
bass players.
On this evening, the show
was opened with the Portland alternative rock band Autumn Blue laying
down a rocking set.
Big Dume members all live
together in a beach house in Malibu. The band has some star-level
heritage. Guitarist Jenner is Olympic Champion Bruce Jenner's son
and was one of the stars of the Fox Network television show Princes
of Malibu. Keyboardist Felder’s dad is Don Felder, bass player
with The Eagles for 25 years. Drummer Steele's claim to fame is that
his brother Chris Steele plays guitar and sings in Autumn Blue and
also hosts Karaoke at Pub 181 during the week, hence the hook-up
for the Pub 181 show.
Big Dume's show consists
of two parts. The first is a completely electric set featuring Felder's
torch-blues singing and strutting stage presence. With long, flowing
blond hair and a body to die for, there's both elements of Gwen Stefani
and Debbie Harry. But Felder transcends them both. With sass and
attitude, she struts and slithers around the stage and strikes the
listener hard and fast like a cobra! Add vocals akin to Susan Tedeschi
meeting Etta James and you get the picture. Simply captivating.
As a musical unit, Big
Dume lays down a thundering groove on their blues pieces, yet in
their acoustic set, it floats and sways. On their original composition Mexico,
Jenner leads with vocals and acoustic guitar while Felder backs him
with keys and harmonies. Steele performs unusual percussion, sitting
on a big wood box (looks like a subwoofer) played with his left hand,
and a small conga-like drum with a brush. The effect is ethereal
with a lightness yet grinding underlying beat. And so it goes.
Together just over two
years, Big Dume is receiving national-level recognition. Band Manager
Erik Shafer explains, "The CD's in every store from Walmart
to Target, CD Baby and digitally on the internet. The CD has been
released in conjunction with the Fox Network TV Show Princes of
Malibu in which Brandon was one of the stars. It's a diverse
sounding record, with jazz, blues and alternative elements. We're
looking to promote the CD for a year or two, then put up another
CD."
Each band member adds something
unique and adds to the continuing evolution of their sound. Jenner
explains, "We're still evolving and always will. We're open
to all different styles of music as shown on the CD. It's a just
a good time. There's no rules. I'm a big Jimi Hendrix fan. I like
mistakes. I stopped woodshedding stuff. I just try to listen. I play
what I like, not just how it sounds but how it feels. I connect with
brutal honesty. You can't be inhibited. No matter what you think
of yourself, it's important to dig deep and let it all hang out.
And that's exactly what I do."
Vocalist Felder describes
her role; "I'm the icing on the cake. I'm NOT the flour. I bring
a whole other dimension with my vocals. I'm the only estrogen on
stage. I'm the only pair of tits on stage so those help. I'm the
sass. I put my heart in it. I put a lot of soul in it. When it's
working, I get a lot of catcalls. My stage presence helps people
loosen up and gets them up to dance. And that's what it's all about!"
Drummer Chris Steele talks
about what he brings; "I lay down the groove and fill in any
holes that are there. You can do a lot off the drums harmonically.
If I play stuff, others will play off it. If I play loud and angry
then the band will play loud and angry. When the crowd sees someone
playing passionately and working hard, the crowd knows it's for real
and that turns heads."
With a sassy and brassy
lead singer, heavy in-the-pocket blues grooves and smooth flowing
jazz undercurrent, Big Dume is an act you don’t want to miss. Much
has been said about the future of the blues. When you listen to Big
Dume, you come to the realization that this is what the future of
the blues needs to be and Portland's Waterfront Blues Festival needs
to book this band. Peter Dammann are you listening??? You can see
more of Big Dume at their website www.bigdume.com.
HOME
|
