The heart of rock & roll still beats.
Los Angeles based rock band Dorothy stopped at the beloved Basement East in Nashville promoting their latest album Gifts from the Holy Ghost which will be released on April 22nd.
The show began with an enthusiastic performance by “Classless Act”. A shirtless, dreadlocked guitar player and equally shirtless, blue haired drummer set the tone for the evening. To my surprise, they opened the night with “Give it to me,” which I thought was their hit song. Nevertheless, it got us all perked up and ready to rock. Chuck McKissock is quite a fun drummer to photograph. He is intense and has a great time behind the drum set. Sometimes drummers are left hidden at the back of the stage, but not this drummer. He is in your face! I mean, the dude was licking his drumsticks in between drum rolls. Is that a thing?
Derek Day’s voice is sexy and powerful. If you close your eyes, his voice and the guitars will take you to the golden days of Rock and Roll. I couldn’t help but compare their sound to Guns ‘n Roses with a hint of AC/DC. To my delight, they played “Civil War” by Guns ‘n Roses and it was a hit with the audience. This band knows how to get a party started. They can easily steal the show from a headliner. I think it is a hard act to follow. A girl in the front row told me after the 3rd song, “I’m show shocked!” It was a lot of fun to be in the front row for their act.
The crowd and I were already sweaty and ready for more. Joyous Wolf was the second act. This Californian band astounded us with the bluesy vocals of Nick Reese that filled the basement. But he also ‘got the moves!’ I saw him (and I’m not exaggerating) jump into a solid split in the middle of a guitar solo! I mean, I can’t do a split, can you? At one point he made us move to the left and right of the stage, leaving the middle empty. He jumped down the stage and burst into somersaults and splits. Meanwhile, the band kept rocking with the crowd looking in disbelief with our mouths open. At some point the guitarist was shirtless and the crowd was roaring in excitement. We were all “Show Shocked.” I couldn’t believe that in 2 hours we got to witness 2 bands with so much energy.
Goddess Dorothy Martin was welcomed by the crowd with “I Love you”, “Hell Yeses” and the mighty voice of Nina Simone. Her presence is undeniable and her rapport with the audience is refreshing. Shaking hands with people in the front row, furtive smiles and the winking of her eyes had us all in awe. People drove from all over Tennessee to see her sing. Some drove from out of state like one enthusiastic fan who drove from New York. The band seemed to have a strong connection with each other, they looked at each other and nodded or laughed. Dorothy was having a blast and played the air guitar a few times. Her energy was contagious. Her chemistry with her band-mates and her fans seems genuine and reciprocal. And it says a lot when you treat your fans with so much love. It’s like she knew that people stood outside the venue for hours to see her. She appreciated us and made us feel like we were her special guests, not random spectators paying for her show. She was described by those in attendance as ‘beautiful as the Virgin Mary’, and as ‘a Goddess.’ I have to agree, she is undeniably beautiful but there is something else about her. Maybe her raspy voice? Or the vulnerability of her lyrics? She has everything! They way she works every corner of her stage. When you come to see Dorothy, she makes sure to come and see you.Her music and her style are keeping the soul of Rock & Roll alive. I don’t think we will be seeing Dorothy for $20 ever again so get your tickets right now!
DOROTHY
https://dorothyonfire.comhttps://www.facebook.com/itsdorothysucka/
https://www.instagram.com/dorothy/
https://www.youtube.com/user/itsdorothysucka
JOYOUS WOLF
https://motherrebel.joyouswolf.comhttps://www.facebook.com/joyouswolf
https://www.instagram.com/joyouswolfmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7W3_dDSqeHZCny8ZBumofg
CLASSLESS ACT
https://www.facebook.com/classlessact/https://www.instagram.com/classlessact/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO1ymtC1unoMyxSnGAi53cg