There was joy in the air Sunday night as Westlake’s Bogie’s Bar finally opened its doors to live music. The packed house for both shows was in a celebrative mood, as was headliner Carl Verheyen, visibly enjoying the chance to “finally play some songs from my recent album in front of people”.
The album, Sundial, was prominently featured by Verheyen and his team of big band drummer Bernie Dresel, bassist Dave Marotta and guitarist/keyboardist Troy Dexter, but as the leader showed by his sartorial attire, everything he does is based in blue.
His warm 70s blues rocker voice was well displayed as Dresel supplied the upbeat backbeat and clever cymbal work on the peppy “Sundial” while tasty double guitar work between Verheyen and Dexter was highlighted on the hard hitting metal’d “Never Again”. Verheyen’s fingers did some tasty work on the calypso’d “Neve Again” and lead the charge on the exciting instrumentals “Kaningie” and the Irish toned “Highland Shuffle”.
The team got into a funky R&B mood with Dexter’s keyboards adding soul to “Stealing Gasoline” while Marotta laid down a smoking solo for the boogie’d “Closing Time Blues”.
Verheyen displayed his wide range of moods when he pulled out his acoustic guitar for a rural read of the Derek and Domino classic “Thorn In The Garden” and delivered a heartfelt read of “The Times They Are A’Changing” with chiming electric guitars leading the minstrel’d path.
Verheyen even pulled back into his Supertramp days for a closing take of the hit “Bloody Well Right”, making the point that, while people still may think of him as “the guy from Supertramp”, someday, those in the know will think, “Wasn’t Supertramp the band that once had Carl Verheyen?”
Carl Verheyen will be with his band at The Baked Potato with drummer Chad Wackerman and bassist Alphonso Johnson, so check him out there as well.
Check Bogie’s site for upcoming gigs. WELCOME BACK!