Row Jomah Celebrate 10th Anniversary of ‘Cat People!’
[Thanks to Jazmin Rice for her outstanding photography.]
A decade ago – June 19, 2015, to be exact, Clearwater indie rockers Row Jomah released their first full-length album Cat People!, which made everyone in the area sit up and take notice. The well-crafted songs, great arrangements, and superb musicianship became hallmarks of the band.
Since the time of the original recording, bassist Jason Berlin left the band, and several others have since filled that role. The group also features Dylan Chee-A-Tow, drums; Austin Llewellyn, keyboards; Joe Roma, acoustic guitar, vocals; and Melbourne Walsh, electric guitar.
In anticipation of the tenth anniversary of Cat People!, Row Jomah teased out a new remix of “Tell Me,” the original album’s first track. Now the entire anniversary remix is available to hear, and on June 13 Row Jomah, with OG Jason Berlin, played a superb two-set show, the first including the eight songs from the album, two recent RJ tunes, and a sweet “Angel from Montgomery.” Tenor saxophone player Brian Doss sat in as noted in Roma’s setlist, as did great vocalist Rochelle Siddiq.
Set two included more great Row Jomah songs, ever-popular cover “Sledgehammer,” and two that featured Siddiq, the Tedeschi Truck Band staple “Midnight in Harlem” and Siddiq’s own “Weatherman.” They closed the night down with four from the Talking Heads canon, ones they play when they don their alter egos Road to Nowhere. (“Cross-Eyed & Painless” replaced “Slippery People.”)
This was a wonderful show in honor of the tenth anniversary of that first Row Jomah album, and a great night was had by all.
And Melbourne Walsh continues to blow minds and melt faces with his guitar prowess.
[SET ONE: Tell Me, Angel from Montgomery, Sugar Sweet, Choke, Rain Down, Push & Pull, Shudder, Funk, Fire & Ice, You & Me, Couldn’t I Be with You, Outhouse; SET TWO: Devil’s Fair > Sledgehammer, Midnight in Harlem, Weatherman, Cat People!, Naive Melody, Once in a Lifetime, Burning Down the House, Cross-Eyed & Painless]
