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Words by: Stephen Urban | Images by: Daniel Ortiz
Natural Breakdown :: 11.09.08 :: B.B. King Blues Club :: New York, NY
 Natural Breakdown :: 11.09 :: New York |
When we arrived at B.B. King Blues Club the many Deadheads in town for the Philathon were already outside looking for miracles. I could see Natural Breakdown through the glass, sound checking onstage. Eric WaldMan, normally on keys, was strumming an acoustic guitar while Gene Lantigua was thumping away on bass. Dan Farella (electric guitar) and Vinnie Smith (drums) complete this youthful, adventurous quartet. Based out of Central Jersey, Natural Breakdown is quickly becoming a must-see band in the area. If you haven't heard of them yet you will!
These guys mean business. Their bright smiles while playing are mirrored on the faces of the audience. Normally a band as talented as this with such a commanding stage presence is full of big egos, but Natural Breakdown is not your average band - studying Eastern philosophies and yoga while remembering their musical roots and virtues of humility.
On the first song, WaldMan strums an acoustic, while Lantigua sported a huge grin and day-glow paint on his pants. The music reached a crescendo led by Farella's guitar solo as Smith laid on a heavy dance beat and WaldMan sang lead with Lantigua on harmony. Eventually, WaldMan played a harmonica solo, mustering up the soul of a Chicago or Delta bluesman. The second track was a funky blues-rock number called "Dropout Boogie." The crowd screamed at the opening riff, and moved further out onto the dance floor. "Yeah, do the 'Dropout Boogie'!" WaldMan sang.
Before "Rise Above," WaldMan asked the crowd, "How you guys feeling tonight? Make some noise if you are feeling good on a Sunday Night in New York City. This is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Thank you guys for being here with us." In the first verse, Lantigua sang, "But if I give up now will it mean the skeptics will have won? No way, I'm having too much fun!" "Rise Above" is a super funk disco jam, featuring WaldMan on synthesizer solos and Farella in Jimi Hendrix wah pedal mode.
They say that every journey always starts with just one step
But I can't seem to get on out the door
And if I'm only dreaming what's it matter anyways?
To me it's still worth believing that the rainbows that I chase
All end in gold
 Natural Breakdown :: 11.09 :: New York |
Next Lantigua and WaldMan sang the very catchy "Over the Mountain," which begins with WaldMan scatting. The band was so incredibly tight in the jam that as I watched them improvise and the crowd dance, I realized there was no way I could communicate the vibe and energy in the room – an open, clear, positive vibration I feel at every one of their concerts. "Make some noise if you feel like celebrating tonight! Sunday is a day we like to give thanks," said WaldMan. "It is great to see so many beautiful, beautiful people. We are gonna project some light out into the world from this place, for sure."
The keyboard started up and BAM, the drums, bass and guitars came into the groove. "You're READY! Are you READY? When we love one another then we find it – GRACE," shouted WaldMan. From the scatting they jumped into another heavy jam with a blistering guitar solo by Farella. "Now shake your bones, and do your dance! Do-dam-do-dam-dada-da-dam-dad-a-dam-da," WaldMan scatted at the ending as they went into "Supercharged."
A cover of Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime" fit the band's funky, high-energy rock style well. The song became a massive science fiction springboard that launched a rocket of tones on a brave new world called Freedom. The natives drummed with Smith, and wherever we were transported to was rife with rhythmic explorations. This was followed by the spiritual "One Inside the One," the title track from their 2007 studio album.
You are the ONE inside the ONE
You are the holy one of love and light and life
That you are looking for
Speak the dreams inside of you
And they become our world
We are One
Later, "The Wave" retold the ancient mythological flood narrative. "The Wave" this night was more like a giant tsunami rushing at us. Although there is another wave it represents, not a destructive wave but a creative wave; to me, it represents the vibe, the sounds from the band picked up by the audience. The band jams with the audience and makes musical honey with the energy of bees. Like Noah and the Ark, for 40 days and 40 nights they sailed until voices from the sky spoke:
He said that Mother Earth was fed up
And the people had to go, yeah had to go
But "Oh, No! No! No! No!"
We said, "Its coming, we are waking"
Can't you see that we are taking back the world!
So, don't give up on the world!
Then the water turned to sky and the band's sailboat flew away again. The Bees, as Natty B fans have been dubbed, eagerly went along for the ride. Sonics like lightning and thunder came swirling from the stage. Fierce weather patterns in the seas of possibility forced the band to shore with "3 AM," "Flip Top" > "Find Out" and "Om I God" to close the show. A natural breakdown indeed!
Natural Breakdown is on tour now, dates available here.
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