Bigger view of 5.25.18 poster Bigger view of 9.18.18 poster
It was a very rare occurrence. One of my favorite (again) bands came to the Fillmore TWICE within a 6 month period. I attended both shows and , as it turned out, both shows were sold out. So I now have two Lake Street Dive Fillmore posters hanging on the wall. They are right next to each other since I hang the posters in chronological order. I can honestly admit that if the band made a 3rd trip to the Fillmore that year, I would have been there also. They NEVER disappoint!
2x the Fun
The year was 2018. This odd little band from Boston was beginning to level up and I am sure that playing the Fillmore was a bucket list item for them PLUS they were popular enough to swing back around 5 months later and sell the place out again for TWO nights this time. By 2018 , I had become an active fan of this band. Lake Street Dive (LSD) is a unique band! They are very difficult to categorize. They also have a terrible band name. When I tell folks the name, I hear “What is a Lake Street Dive?” For the record, the name refers to all the dive bars on Lake Street, a neighborhood that students from the nearby New England Conservatory of Music liked to hang out.
This group of talented musicians met at the conservatory and started this jazz-pop-soul fusion band that plays minimal instruments and has a Hall-of-Fame singer. The band started out in 2012 as a quartet, with Rachael Price as the singer, Bridget Kearny plays (usually stand-up) bass, Mike “McDuck” Olson on guitar, trumpet, organ, electric piano, synthesizer, kitchen sink, & Mike Calabrese is your barefoot drummer. Everyone sings and the harmonies would make the Beach Boys jealous.
New Kids on My Block
I ‘discovered’ this group (along with 6 million others and counting others) via a random, viral YouTube video. This video catapulted the band to as-yet-unseen heights of popularity. I encourage you to check the video out to experience it for yourself. Anyway, I see this video out of nowhere, and I’m fascinated with their version of a Motown classic played only on trumpet, snare and stand up bass. I start a deeper dive on this unique quartet. I began to find all kinds of videos of LSD performing live. Each one is better than the last one! Bassist Bridget Kearney is amazingly funky. The harmonies are angelic too! I immediately got their EP of mostly covers called ‘Fun Machine’. To hear this band take on songs like ‘Faith” by George Michael and ‘Rich Girl’ by Hall and Oates is very satisfying. It’s all in good fun but very well executed.
Besides sounding fantastic on their albums, LSD are an exciting live band. They have many hours of road work on their resume. Their popularity is 100% a result of their relentless touring. Each member of the group shines on stage. Rachael Price has a classic, old-school, crooner voice. Their songs are snappy and fun but they can get serious too. Bridget Kearny is a badass on the stand up bass and is a joy to watch. Mc Duck was a straight-faced, multi-instrument guy who provided the versatility needed considering the band’s light footprint. The sound they produce onstage is a phenomenal mix of very little instrumentation and lush vocal harmonies.
The Shows
I love to introduce new bands that I love to my friends and family. I was able to do this at both LSD shows. I challenge anyone to NOT enjoy seeing Lake Street Dive perform. My regular concert buddy, Jimmy P, was the lucky recipient to a magical night of good music on the band’s visit to the Fillmore on May 25th, 2018. Because the band is very hard to describe, I didn’t even try to tell Jimmy about them beforehand. I wanted him to experience them and give me his unbiased opinion. Thankfully he trusts my judgment. When asked what he thought, the ever eloquent Jimmy P. replied, “I’m in love!”
Fun Machine!
A Lake Street Dive concert is a mix of fun, tightly constructed pop songs, both originals and unexpected covers, with the occasional heart wrenching ballad thrown in. The cover songs are never straight ahead covers, they always have a unique touch to them. One of my favorites, not performed on this night however, is their version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (including a vocalization of the famous operatic breakdown).
Here we all are, singing along to a cover of the Hall and Oates classic “Rich Girl”. The band has made some fantastic videos of these cover songs. They usually come out with a new one at Halloween, FYI.
As you can tell from my photos and videos, I had a great view of the stage that night. I also had a great view of the guy in front of me and his big head. However, five months later, when LSD came back, I arrived at the venue earlier. My co-conspirator that night was my sister, Julie. She, also, had never seen nor heard of Lake Street Dive. We were right up against the rail in front of the stage. This clear view of LSD had me very excited because I anticipated a great show and great resulting pictures and videos. I think Julie was also excited to be an ‘upfront fanatic’.
Five Months Later…
Since this show was only five months away from the last one, many of the same songs were performed. This was not a problem for the sold out crowd which gladly sang along to most of them. I wondered how many people had been to both shows, like myself.
Being in front, I had an unobstructed view of lead singer Rachel Price. Price is a world-class voice and that’s according to people who would actually know. A deep dive on her reveals that she has been singing professionally since age 13. Such a dynamic performer too! Really every performer in this band is masterful at their craft. Drummer, Mike Calabrese, is a study in minimalism. His sparse kit elicits some very funky grooves and delicate cymbal atmospheres. His vocals are an important part to the LSD sound, also.
Mike Olson seems like the mad scientist of the band. He doesn’t say much in interviews but he seems very influential in the band’s sound. His versatility is featured, whether it’s on guitar, trumpet or something else. Unfortunately, Olson left the band in 2021. An amicable split, judging from the outside. His trumpet playing, primarily, has been missed since he left. That trumpet is featured on the song “Mistakes” which was performed, flawlessly, last time at the Fillmore.
An additional player who got full membership in the band sometime after they played the Fillmore, is Akie Bermiss. Akie adds keyboards and vocals. His vocals stood out at the Fillmore when he, covered “Still The One” , the Shania Twain hit. A surprise GREAT moment in the show. Akie has a strong, upbeat vocal style. His contribution to the band has increased since he joined.
Last but not least, the rhythm section of Calabrese on drums and Kearney on bass is keeping the group solidly in the pocket. As mentioned, Calabrese plays a small kit but makes the most out of it. His tenor voice melds beautifully in the harmonies and he can be very funny. Bridget Kearney on the stand up bass is mesmerizing. Lake Street Dive can get very groovy in their presentation and Kearney leads the way. It doesn’t take a keen ear to feel her bass fill up the room or her melodies to get your toes tapping. It is extremely fun to watch her play her instrument and sing! Sonically her and Racheal’s voices meld together like one.
The Posters
May – The poster has an art deco/vector graphics feel. Very angular representation of someone holding a serving tray with cocktails on it. The artist was Chad Grohman: a veteran Fillmore artist. The poster from September is a much looser full page drawing of apartment buildings crowded together. The Lake Street Dive name is large across the whole poster in cursive handwriting. The artist is Molly Kars. Whose other Fillmore posters lean toward realistic depictions. Detailed but subtle and beautiful.
All in all, a fantastic Lake Street Dive love fest at the Fillmore was happening in 2018. Not once but two times that year! The band has only continued to grow since then. Currently they can fill theaters many times larger than the Fillmore. In September 2024, they will be playing Madison Square Garden as a headliner! So it doesn’t matter if your band has a weird name. If you are as good as Lake Street Dive, it just doesn’t matter.
