Rolling Stones Tribute at the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall in Riverhead
aline reynolds :: The Hamptons Music Scene
The nearly 30-year-old Rolling Stones band Streetfighter provoked jumps, applause, nostalgia, and cheer on Saturday, March 22nd at Riverhead’s Vail-Leavitt Music Hall as they entertained a predominantly baby-boomer crowd with a classic rock repertoire. The venue itself recalls history, since it was designed in the nineteenth century by the architect of Ford’s Theatre, where in April 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while watching a play. “I really enjoy playing on this stage,” commented Bob Weir, lead singer of Saturday’s guest band, Union Jacx, adding that its large dimensions and theatrical atmosphere are what sets it apart from other Long Island venues.
Union Jacx started off the evening, trying with mixed success to arouse an initially sluggish audience with its covers of classic 70s’ English rock songs. Streetfighter followed with over a dozen Rolling Stones chestnuts, spearheaded by lead singer Peter Vereecke attempting to simulate Mick Jagger’s hyperactive movements. Though matching the Rolling Stones’s every guitar strum and vocal effect is clearly a tall order, Streetfighter met the challenge quite well.
While certain parts of Union Jacx performance were tight and melodically sound, several passages were rhythmically unstable and off pitch. The sonic equilibrium sounded off, so that the lead singer’s voice was often drowned out by the instrumentalists. Mr. Weir’s curt introduction of his band to the audience seemed to dampen the performance at the get-go. Also, the improvisatory sections were frequently not up to par, as in the band’s rendition of Rod Stewart’s “Hot Legs,” Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive,” The Black Crowes’s “Hard to Handle,” and U2’s “Vertigo.” Union Jacx redeemed itself, however, with strong performances of Bad Company’s “Rock & Roll Fantasy” and “Ready for Love,” The Black Crowes’s “Jealous Again,” and Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down.”
A few songs, such as “Hard to Handle” and “Saturday,” simply did not meet the mark. Jablonsky made some noticeable melodic and rhythmic slips during “Hard to Handle”’s rhythm-guitar section, and Weir sounded somewhat off pitch during certain vocal passages. And, while the improvisatory passages were no more than mediocre during this song, the instrumentalists sounded out of sync more than once, producing a discombobulated, disjointed sound. Jablonsky’s solo guitar passages once again sounded uneven during Elton John’s “Saturday,” and Bill Dunkerk’s melodic backup vocals during this song seemed to serve no other purpose but to add noise. Perhaps harmonic (rather than melodic) vocal support would have been more appropriate. Finally, the instrumentalists weren’t always rhythmically steady, speeding up during the vocal breaks and slowing down when the drowned out melodies of Weir rejoined them during the vocal refrains of the song.
Nevertheless, Union Jacx executed solid performances of other songs performed during Saturday’s gig. The band sounded especially in sync during “Rock & Roll Fantasy.” While percussionist John D’Esposito was experimenting with intricate rhythms, guitarist Mike Jablonsky performed impressive improvisatory solos during the vocal breaks. Singer Bob Weir sounded as if he was running out of steam, however, during the last couple of sustained notes. “Jealous Again”’s rhythmic and melodic stability got the crowd on its feet and clapping to the beat. Apart from the solid instrumental performance of this song, the band members vamped up the song’s energy by visually and verbally interacting with the crowd and among themselves.
The slower, ballad-like “Ready for Love” was sung soulfully by Weir, as bassist Bill Dunkerk provided lyrical harmonic support. In addition, Dunkerk and Jablonsky launched on a contrapuntal-like improvisation that enhanced the oneiric atmosphere of the music and its emotional lyrics. Finally, Union Jacx ended the set with flying colors in its rendition of Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down.” Jablonsky and his guitar shone during the recurring country-like riff, whose fast, vibrant rhythms were very much in sync with the other instrumentalists. The song’s final passage was extremely well-sustained by the four band members.
After a twenty-minute break, the six members of Streetfighter strode onto the stage with quite the 1960s attire: lead singer Peter VerEecke was slickly dressed in Rod Stewart-like skin-tight leather pants, second guitarist Rev. Elroy P. Jones III wore snazzy blue shades. The aptly named lead guitarist Mark Richards (who played Keith Richards’ parts) truly looked like one of the original Rolling Stones–thin, tousle-haired, and hatchet-faced. If one squinted a bit, Mark became Keith. The Stones look, however, did not carry over to percussionist Brad Singer and bassist Bob Sole, neither of whom resembled the ‘60s rockers or was clothed in period outfits.
To say the least, it’s demanding to successfully recreate a Rolling Stones performance, and one can only do so well. Mr. VerEecke bears some physical resemblance to Mick Jagger, since he is rail-thin, wears tight clothes, and has a weathered look about the face. But his efforts to imitate Jagger by scowling, prancing, pointing, clapping, and rooster-walking became excessive. At times, his gestures detracted from the auditory experience of the performance. I found my head aching when attempting to visually follow his frenetic gestures, which, though they resembled Jagger’s to some extent, at moments approached caricature. VerEcke is taller than Jagger, and his lanky frame made some of his contortions seem awkward.
Not all fifteen Stones songs were on the money for other reasons. VerEcke’s vocals, while generally effective, failed to truly capture Jagger’s raw, crisp sound. VerEecke experienced a brief memory lapse of lyrics during “Under My Thumb,” but it barely mattered since his voice was drowned out anyway by the bass and drums.
Likewise, Mark Richards’s fuzzy guitar effects didn’t quite match Keith Richards’s phenomenal dexterity. The guitar introduction of “Honky Tonk Woman,” for instance, lacked the unforgettable intricacy and dynamism of the Keith Richards original.
Yet Streetfighter was clutch, delivering several songs excellently. “Let It Bleed” was easily one of the best performances of the night, as the soothing harmonies of the vocalists blended well with those of the keyboard and guitar. The percussion was equally impressive towards the end of the song, launching into rapid rhythmic passagework as a means of sustaining the song’s final note. In “Can’t Always Get What You Want,” meanwhile, keyboardist Ruthy Hopkins played her riffs with facility and lyricism, and the other instrumentalists succeeded in duplicating the melodic and harmonic parts of the original record, experimenting with a vast range of dynamics in the appropriate sections of the song. Likewise, the incorporation of guest harmonica player Joel Rubinson (otherwise known as “Harpdawg”) during “Miss You” was a timely addition, as the instrument’s plaintive melodies meshed well with both the instrumentals and vocals. Meanwhile, Messrs. Sole and Singer successfully sustained rhythm-driven bass and percussion theme throughout the song.
The trademark hits “Satisfaction” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” came off particularly well. The distorted guitar theme as the driving motor of “Satisfaction,” complemented by the song’s explosive ending, made the group’s performance sound strikingly similar to the original 1965 recording. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” provided a rousing end to the evening. The guitar passages, despite a few slips, were played fluidly and exhibited an impressive range in dynamics. Audience members eagerly rose to their feet during this rock anthem, jumping, clapping, and bobbing their heads to its irresistible beat.
Union Jacx formed as a group only five or six months ago, when pals Bill Dunkerk and Mike Jablonsky found Bob Weir and John D’esposito through a classified music ad. This is only their second performance as a four-member group, their first having been at Candy’s Magic Pub in Shirley. “It’s a lot of fun playing with these guys,” says Jablonsky, “there’s no attitude and we get along great, so it works out really well,” adding that the band will be shortly working on releasing its first demo CD.
The band members of Streetfighter initially grouped together back in 1979. The band took an extended hiatus during the 80’s, however, taking time off from gigging to “be people,” explains second guitarist Elroy P. Jones III. Ever since, the members have reunited with the aim to deconstruct Rolling Stones songs and restructure them with new added layers and textures. Jones deems the project a “gratifying experience,” adding: “I think we have come a long way and have matured as musicians over the years.” Mr. VerEecke agreed, proclaiming that today’s Streetfighter is “the most gelled version of the band’s nearly thirty year life span.”
You can hear Union Jacx perform live at the Sound Beach Inn on April 19th and will be performing in conjunction with Streetfighter once again at Bay Shore’s Boulton Center of the Performing Arts on June 21st. They will also be performing live with ProJect Floyd at the Patchogue Theater on August 16th. As for Streetfighter, the band will be performing live on May 16th and August 1st at Portjazz in Port Jefferson, and as part of the Family Summer Concert Series at the Smithtown Library on August 14th at 8 pm. To learn more about Streetfighter, visit the band’s website.
Aline Reynolds is a magna cum laude 2007 graduate of Barnard College, with a double degree in comparative literature and music. Shortly after graduation, she began working as a freelance arts and culture writer for Long Island periodicals such as Dan’s Papers and Southampton Press. Since June 2007, she has been working in the international sales department at W.W. Norton publishing, where she is responsible for mediating between Norton’s overseas representatives and the Norton headquarters in New York and Pennsylvania. She also does freelance press release writing for Norton’s publicity department, and undertakes various other freelance projects in the college and trade editorial departments on a regular basis. Aline can be reached at ar2198@columbia.edu.
