Gig Review
Any (Old) Port in a Storm: King Memphis at Bull Feeneys
Friday February 2

King Memphis – I’d heard a lot about this local rockabilly band, and all good things. But I’d never had a chance to see them, until this past Friday night.

Yes, I’m a folkie, but also a closet rockabilly fan. I don’t claim to know a lot about the genre, but one of my favorite songs from my youth was “Hot Rod Lincoln”, written by Charlie Ryan and recorded in 1972 by Commander Cody. That hot, distorted lead guitar riff in that song has always defined the genre for me. If you’re going to play this type of music, you’d better be a damn good guitar player.

So, I set out on Friday night to catch King Memphis at Bull Feeneys on Fore Street in the Old Port. Now, I wouldn’t advise anyone else to do this, but I left home just as a significant snowfall had begun. Nothing to worry about really, but the downtown area probably got three inches that night. The thing is, it really did add kind of an interesting aspect to the evening. Take it easy on the suds, park the car and walk around town, and you’ll be OK.

I started out a little early in the evening for the show at Bull Feeneys, so I dropped in to Blue, at 650A Congress Street, first. Barry Martin and his crew run a first rate beer and wine bar, and they book a variety of musical acts. Some are top-rated Portland artists (like Okbari, who was featured later that evening); but Barry also supports lesser-known songwriters and performers, providing opportunities for those with less stage experience and developing musical chops to get in front of a serious audience.

On this particular Friday night, I caught the early show, which featured Jeff Pellerin and Erin St. John. These two fine young men took the stage in jeans and tweed sports jackets, and they reminded me of the non-drag versions of Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari of the 1980’s sitcom “Bossom Buddies”. They did a nice job entertaining a roomful of their friends and Blue regulars with a mix of folk/rock covers and folkie originals. While their musicianship and harmonies could use some polish, they were very relaxed, confident, and entertaining on stage. The songwriting on the originals grabbed my attention on several occasions, boding well for their ability to grow into the job.

I left Blue to make my way in the snow to Bull Feeneys, but got distracted on the way down Free Street by the music at The Dogfish Bar and Grille. I couldn’t resist going in for a quick beer at this great little restaurant and bar. Every Friday night you can catch The Van Voorst Jazz Quartet there. This jazz ensemble is made up of four very professional musicians, and led by Jan van Voorst van Beest, a very accomplished jazz drummer. Standup bass, piano, and sax round out the band, and they play a mix of originals and jazz standards. You can’t do any better for jazz in Portland. I spent a very nice half-hour in the bar listening to their groove.

As I continued on my way to Fore Street, I was struck by the number of people on the street in this snow fall. Portland is a great town in that there are many, many people who live in the downtown area of the city. This makes it easy for folks to go out in conditions that would create ghost towns of other cities on a night like this one. The storm did not really seem to dampen the crowds enjoying the music downtown to any significant degree.

Matt Robbins of King Memphis

OK, so I finally made my way to the upstairs room at Bull Feeneys where King Memphis was playing. This rather small space is set up in a way that sort of forces everyone to stand up in the center of the room, and there was a pretty good crowd there enjoying the music. King Memphis features Matt Robbins on guitar and lead vocals, and Kris Day on stand up bass, and a great drummer whose name I didn’t get (great job I’m doing, eh?) The band blew through some great covers, like “I Got a Rocket in My Pocket” by Stan Beaver, and “Big River” by Johnny Cash (Matt totally nailed the Johnny Cash vocal). They did a nice job on “Long Black Veil” by Marijohn Wilkin and Danny Dill, which was the first time I’d heard that song with a rockabilly sound.

King Memphis has been together and playing the Portland scene for 15 years. If you like rockabilly, you really don’t need me to tell you about them, because I’m sure you know them well already. If you are new to town, or aren’t a rockabilly fan, I’d encourage you to seek them out – you will become one. Having been playing together for so long, they are tight as a band can be and not live in the same skin. Matt is one of those guitar players that make the craft look effortless; we all know that if it looks effortless, it is the result of years and years of hard work.

So, all you folkies, get out there and check out King Memphis. You may find yourself opening up to a whole new outlook on life. And, if you catch them during a snow storm, the music will keep you warm all the way home.

All the best to you
Bob McK

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