I know you've probably never heard of Hamilton Loomis, but if you'd like to hear something more innovative and melody-driven than just the same old 3-chord blues or screaming, ear-slitting heavy metal, then this guy is for you. I've been a part-time musician for 30 years, and Hamilton Loomis is now my favorite artist. His rocking blues/jazz arrangements are so creative and different, that I didn't mind driving 2 hours on a week-night to see him perform. Check him out at:
www.hamiltonloomis.com
Now the show:
My guitar player, Jim Hickerson, and I arrived at the Slippery Noodle Bar in Indianapolis Tuesday night just before 8PM and there was NO admission charge to our suprise and we proceeded to make our way in to the dining room. The small stage was located at the front of the room and could have been no more that 15 x 10 feet in size. There were probably 25 people in the small room having dinner. We sat down at the second table away from the stage.... Hamilton Loomis and his band were eating their dinner at the table right in front of ours. Some guy brought a guitar up the the band's table and began to show it to Ham while he was trying to finish his dinner...geeze!
The show started at about 8:30PM . Hamilton Loomis and his 3 piece band (Sax/keyboard, bass and drums) opened up with an instrumental from his "All Fired Up" CD called "Chicken Fat" . I knew then we were in for a treat as he said "sounds so good up here".
Ham and the band then proceeded to astound us with jazzed-up rockin' blues from his "Kickin it" CD and his new one that will be released on Monday called "This Ain't Temporary". This guy is a amazing guitarist...probably the best I've ever heard in a bar...and his band was SO tight. He also performed "Working real hard, "No, No, No" "What it is", and all the new tunes from his forthcoming CD...."Bow Wow", "Just have to Wait (co-written with Bo Diddley).
We had to leave before the end of the third set as I had to be at work at 7AM the next morning, but the music was well worth the trip. Also Ham and the band were very personable, nice guys...
If they play again around here in the future, I damn sure will go see them.
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PSG Joseph