| The first time that I heard Indigenous
was on the video show The Other Side with Ken Mottet, which by the way is the best
damn show around. Anyhow, after seeing the video, I went out and bought their first CD Things
We Do (Pachyderm) and boy let me tell ya, it kick's some ass. So the 2nd CD
comes out, Circle (Pachyderm), and again I'm just knocked out. When I found out the
band was scheduled to play House of Blues on December 9th,and knowing that
guitarist Mato Nanji plays Fender, I got on the phone with my friend at Fender and
scheduled myself to review the show. Of course, I had to call him about Indigenous because
my buddy over there keeps me in the dark like a well-aged piece of cheese.
Now I know that there are some people that are going to
tell you Indigenous sounds like Steve Ray Vaughan or Kenny Wayne Shepherd but I never got
that feeling. They run far closer to old school R&B and Blues, than most of the
others. The thing that struck me first was how great Mato Nanji sings. His depth of feel,
along with his phrasing, is flawless and that can also be said about his guitar playing. I
really feel that if Indigenous never sells another CD, they are going to keep playing
because they love what they do and it shows.
So what have I told you about the show? Well, not all that
I should have. Along with Mato Nanji on guitar, they have a great (and I mean great)
rhythm section. Pte (bass) and Wanbdi (drums) have an all in one sound about them. Some
might say that they lock in the pocket, either way they keep the groove to the point that
you hear and feel them more then you see them. What makes Indigenous special is how they
can take a groove like in "Rest Of My Days" and bring it over the top, so much
so, that it brings you to a different point of reality. In doing so, you forget your
surroundings, you are right in the moment. This live show ripped through me like the
tornado ripped through Kansas in The Wizard of Oz!
Now you can say that Indigenous plays the Blues and you can
tell yourself that you have all of the Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd CD's and the
last thing that you need is something that sounds the same. But the thing about Indigenous
is that they standalone. They have their own sound, their own voice if you will. When I
was at the House of Blues, it amazed me that all their songs never ran together. The truth
is, with some bands you can see the first 15 minutes and you have heard the whole set.
With Indigenous each song has it's own expression. There is just enough of a difference
between the songs that in a set you have a lot of great songs, as opposed to one long
song.
I hope that if you are a lover of the Blues, or at least
someone who loves songs in that vein, you will check out this band. I could go on and on,
but Indigenous is a band that has to be heard and seen. Sometimes a band comes around that
is special and what makes Indigenous special is that they have been able to carve their
own niche. In doing so, they stand heads and shoulders above the rest. Do yourself a favor
and buy the two CD's. You will love them, it's Blues, it's R&B, it's great. Highly
recommended!
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