Friday, April 17, 2015

Recording: Joe Pernice & Norman Blake

Artist: Joe Pernice & Norman Blake

Songs: Dark and Lonely Night + Sarasota [feat. Bob Pernice]

Recorded at The Dakota Tavern, April 10, 2015.

Joe Pernice & Norman Blake - Dark and Lonely Night

Joe Pernice & Norman Blake - Sarasota

When Joe Pernice and Norman Blake announced a weekly residency (every Friday this month), I presumed it would be something quite like their previous New Mendicants gigs at The Dakota — casual, acoustic sit-down affairs, with the pair trading off songs and stories, and with the whole thing wrapping up early enough that Pernice could still catch the last few innings of the Red Sox game. And, indeed, the first of two sets on this night did follow that template, before some increased rockin' out took over for the second. Backed by guitarist Michael McKenzie and Sadies drummer Mike Belitisky, Joe's brother Bob Pernice had also come up for the evening, and popped on and off stage to add guitar and vox (and in the case of "Sarasota", synth-string effects from an iPad app) as well as some brotherly give-and-take. That led to a fairly delightful mix of tunes, some nifty cover choices (Tom T. Hall!) as well as a mini-Jale reunion. (!!) It's pretty staggering to think one can just drop in and see such a wonderfully casual show as this, like hanging out in a friend's basement as they bash out song after song (but they just happen to be, like, Pernice Brothers and Teenage Fanclub songs).

[The Joe Pernice/Norman Blake residency continues tonight (April 17th) at the Dakota as well as next week (April 24th).]

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