Good To Be Home

I guess I expected to hear "The Rumour" backing up Graham Parker at

the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA last Friday night, but they weren't

there. It was just Graham, bitching about how everybody sucks and sounding

every bit like a whining, bitter, middle aged man, which is exactly what he

is. What Graham parker proved to me was that "Mercury Poisoning" is fatal

and it don't get better. While I was hoping to get back in touch with my

psuedo-angry and semi-curmugeonly youth, that wasn't why I went to the

Keswick last Friday.

I went to see a Chicago band that knocked the boogie shoes off my

feet two years ago when I first saw them, and I am happy to say they did it

again. The band is called "Sonia Dada" and their story seems both strange

and wonderful. A Chicago Blues Band, having limited success, meets up with a

subway a capella group. I'm not sure whether or not I believe that story so

I made up one of my own. Four serious and uncompromising musicians were

approached by the leader of an equally talented vocal group who said,

"you've got our parking space!" Either way, these guys can 'tear it up.'

The band opened with an acoustic set led off by the haunting and

soulful "Lay My Body Down", off of their second CD. A mix of impressive

musicianship and inspirational vocals that grabbed the audience and held

tight, right through the set, which ended with their single off of album

number three, "Zachary." When they came back out after a 15 minute break,

they came out plugged in and ready to rock. If you've never heard "Lester's

Methadone Clinic," or "You Ain't Thinking About Me," if you've never

experienced "Anna Lee" or "You Don't Treat Me No Good", and I'm guessing you

haven't, you must see this band! If you have, then you know exactly what I'm

talking about and you probably already saw the band. The second encore ended

with a version of "I Want To Take You Higher". Sonia Dada does Sly Stone

better than Sly Stone does Sly Stone. The band's leader is Dan Pritzker. I

don't remember him from my years in Chicago, not that I remember much from

my years in Chicago. He's the leader and chief songwriter, but by no means

the frontman. That honor would go to Michael Scott, another person from

Chicago whom I don't remember. Scott's vocal ability and feel for all things

'soulful', transforms this band from "just another great band that gets no

airplay," to "a great band that gets limited airplay," but I can't for the

life of me, think of anything they can do to change that.

That's our problem.

www.soniadada.com

Jeff Zolitor