It’s been a long time coming but live shows are finally back in the US! We had the honour of covering our first gig in the States, Dirty Honey in Oklahoma City this past weekend. Was it worth the wait? Our reviewer Claire Zevnik reports in.
Dirty Honey blew into Oklahoma City June 19 and rocked the Diamond Ballroom like they’d been rocking for decades – even though they are a relatively new band – just formed in 2017! They hit the stage with Gypsy from their self-titled album released this year. This young band knows how to get the crowd rocking from the first notes played. They have the presence of old-school rockers with a sound similar to the Black Crows with hints of Zeppelin emanating from singer Marc Labelle’s pipes. Break You came next followed by Take My Hand with the crowd rocking hard to each new tune. While it wasn’t a huge, sold-out crowd, you couldn’t tell from energy they created!
The Wire and Fire Away came next with Labelle’s vocals strong and soulful, pairing perfectly with the riffs from guitarist John Notto and bassist Justin Smolian, and beats from drummer Corey Coverstone. You could see how much each member loved performing their music in front of a generally older crowd than normally seen at the venue.
Heartbreaker followed, then Down the Road, and No Warning came before each of the band members spent some solo time on the stage. It started with a searing solo from Smolian in the spotlight of the stage. Next came a rhythmic drum solo by Coverstone that reminded me of long-ago concerts by some of the great live bands. It seems solos have become less prevalent in recent years – another nod Dirty Honey gives to old-school rock and roll. Notto was the last member to take the solo spotlight and he really shredded! Each member was a stand-out in his own right.
Tied Up and Last Child rocked the crowd before the audience got to select the cover the band would play. There was the choice of Aerosmith or AC/DC and the crowd cheered louder for the AC/DC cover, not knowing which song it would be. It was Girl Got Rhythm and Dirty Honey did an awesome job with the cover! Another Last Time came next, preceding their current hit California Dreamin’ which drove the crowd wild!
A brief respite for the band had the crowd screaming for more and the band came out to play their hit When I’m Gone then the finished the set with Rolling 7s. While I wished they could have played for another hour or two, it was a solid, hard-rocking set that showed why this band is gaining popularity day by day. If you get a chance to see Dirty Honey live, do it! You won’t be disappointed!
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Claire Zevnik
