Irish born, singer-songwriter, Imelda May has captured the imagination of many with her bright, retro Rockabilly style, and upbeat tunes. Actively creating music for over ten years, her talents have become more widely recognized in recent times after the highly charted 2010 album Mayhem followed by 2014’s, Tribal. In support of the record, to the pleasure of fans, May headed to the USA for select dates, and made a stop on Sunday September 28th at The Paramount in Huntington, NY for a night of colorful music and fun.
Opening up the evening, from the musical haven of Austin, Texas, was The Bellfuries. Formed sometime in 1998, the band consists of Joey Simeone (lead vocalist/songwriter), Josh Williams (upright bass), Mike Molnar (lead guitar), and Chris Sensat (drums, vocals). Fittingly, they have a full Rockabilly sound, and as soon as people arrived on the floor, they immediately began to dance to The Bellfuries in sheer delight. Playing songs from their forthcoming 2015 album, including their single “Bad Seed Sown,” as well as “Loving Arms,” the band sounded perfectly retro, with a toe-tapping beat that no one could resist. Igniting applauds and praise, The Bellfuries surely walked away with many more fans on Long Island after their performance.
Now packed from the floor to the mezzanine in the rear, fans ranging all ages awaited May to take the stage. Making the most of their time in New York, May and her band made a special appearance at Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn earlier in the day, signing autographs and performance a special acoustic set. As if that intimate experience was not enough, many anxiously awaited May’s full evening set ready to start in mere moments under the bright lights of The Paramount.
As fans hollowed in excitement, May’s band of cool cats Al Gare (bass), Steve Rushton (drums), Darrel Higham (guitar), and Dave Priseman (trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion, guitar) walked out smiling, taking in the moment. Followed by May herself, dressed exquisitely and donning her classic red lipstick, she began singing “Tribal” and “Wild Woman.” Not disappointing fans in the least, her stage presence was impeccable as she grooved, showed amply emotion in her delivery, and projected a ray of light that was contagious. Mixing in songs from her 2008 album Love Tattoo, she went into “Big Bad Handsome Man,” the album title track, which made sure everyone was dancing the entire time.
Keeping the energy levels high and mood delightful, the band’s instrumentation shined bright with timbre through songs like “The Hellfire Club,” “It’s Good To Be Alive,” and Tribal deluxe edition track, “Zombie Girl.” May’s affectionate approach with the audience kept everyone clapping and unbelievably engaged through favorites like “Pyscho,” “Mayhem,” and “Johnny Got a Boom Boom.” After which, It seemed to be the conclusion of the set, with May and the band walking off bidding fans a goodnight. Fortunately, this was merely a brief exit as Higham sat on a stool, gently picking arpeggio notes on an Ukulele . As silence blanketed the crowd, May walked out singing a sorrowful rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” Completely taken by the beauty and sadness, eyes were all on May as she bared her soul through the tune. Having everyone whistling in appreciation, the throbbing stand up bass of Gare got the room moving again with Blondie’s “Dreaming,” before the evening concluded with “Pulling the Rug” and “Right Amount of Wrong.”
While some had experienced May live before, for others this was something new. Everyone agreed this was a special show of not only music, but a blast into the past when showmanship reigned supreme; the type of theatricals and class modern pop culture yearns for, and May performs so well. Her music has something for every generation with a modern flair, timelessly beat, and lust for Rock-n-Roll that must be witnessed in person.
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