The Heavy Pets celebrate 20 years with a double BANG!
[Many thanks to Hunter Nicole Bryant, Crhis Casciano, Stephen Berry, and Eric Tolle for photographs!]
The Heavy Pets have played all over the country in their 20-year journey through the jam scene, but they chose home base for their two-date celebration with shows at the Miami Beach Bandshell on December 19 and at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg the following night. For both events, they invited along like-minded South Florida livetronica jamsters Guavatron to join them.
For the Miami show, guitarist Jaden Layden was also on the bill. In St. Pete, local rockers MiniM were included. Then Mike Bryant and Dunedin Brewery, longtime supporters of the jam scene and Pets fans in particular, helped to up the ante, bringing in vocalist, percussion player, and music educator Melody Trucks, pedal steel master Roosevelt Collier, and The Heavy Horns, led by superb tenor saxophone player Robert Smiley.
Miami peeps raved about the show. St. Pete fans did likewise.
Our St. Petersburg adventure actually began at The Hangar restaurant adjacent to Albert Whitted Airport just south of Jannus Live. There, in addition to an outstanding meal (so outstanding we went back the following night), we also caught the Roy Stewart show. Stewart is a DJ/looper who is accomplished on flugelhorn, trumpet, trombone, and keyboards, and he is a fine singer as well. His delightful setlist covered a wide range from the ’50s to the ’80s. It was a superb start to a deluxe evening.
At Jannus Live we were gifted the opportunity to share the VIP lounge arranged by Bryant, photographer wife Hunter Bryant, and Dunedin Brewery, filled with many great friends. That was remarkably special.
MiniM, the hometown heroes, fired the first salvos with a too-short, incredibly tight set that, to my ears (and those in agreement are minion) the best set the band has played in their four years of existence. The sextet has been roaring and got a further infusion of power with the addition of guitarist and vocalist Brendan Havens. He was a revelation, shredding back and forth with guitar phenom Michael Hibler and owning the vocals on their best song (well, to me), “Layered Mirrors.” It was the opening of a stunning night of jam flowing off the stage and onto the enthusiastic crowd.
Hunter Richey was out front on bass, working with Billy Sanders (drums) and Shane LaVigne (percussion) to drive the groove, with Dave Rakower’s keyboards dancing all over the set.
[MiniM: Away, Layered Mirrors, Organically, Life in Light]
Then it was time for the jamsters from West Palm Beach, Guavatron, to work their magic. The set featured one of their older gems and two other tracks, filling up the hour with livetronica, prog rock, and sheer brilliance. Great synth effects poured from Roddy Hansen’s keyboards as “E.S.V.” launched in front of us. As many of their compositions do, this one changed tempo several times before it emerged into “Revelation,” a beautiful song sung by Adonis Guava, whose guitar also powered the groove.
Casey Luden (bass) and Cory Ricardy (drums) make a mind-blowing rhythm section, and that was augmented by the inclusion of music educator, percussionist, and vocalist Melody Trucks on congas as the band served up a superb if abbreviated “Turtle Dream.” This delightful tune, dripping with Hansen’s keyboards, also featured the remarkable tenor saxophone of Robert Smiley, a paragon of the South Florida scene. They tucked perfectly into the band’s vibe. “Turtle Dream” then morphed back into “E.S.V.,” and the magical set was finished.
[GUAVA: E.S.V. > Reflection, Turtle Dream > E.S.V.]
The Heavy Pets have been an item for 20 years, a long time in the touring band terms. Guitarists Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli and like-minded keyboard wiz Jim Wuest met in Syracuse before moving to South Florida. They have been with the Pets for the duration, joined by multifaceted drummer Jamie Newitt in 2008. The group has had a procession of great bass players, but I will suggest that Chris Patsis has been the ultimate addition to the quintet.
The setlist below was as it was originally conceived. Let’s just talk about the fabulous vibes created on stage. Patsis and Newitt were brilliant in pushing the groove the entire set. Lloyd and Garulli shredded with abandon, offering their great vocals as well. And what of the keyboard master Wuest? He was superb, and kudos to the sound engineers for the best sound ever at Jannus Live.
The Pets hit the stage with Melody Trucks back on congas, Robert Smiley on tenor, and a trumpet player with him as well. After a quick opening tune out strode Roosevelt Collier, a titan who has worked often with the Pets. Rather than his standard pedal steel guitar (“THE DR.”), he was brandishing his new-fangled guitar-style pedal steel (let the picture do the work here).
Before “Caribou,” they gave a nice shoutout to Mike Bryant and Dunedin Brewery for their assistance with these two shows and for supporting them for twenty years. With that, they tore into Garulli’s “Caribou,” where a country vamp blew up, totally lit, with the crowd along for the ride. They gave the spotlight to Trucks and Collier as she sang, no, roared, “Shaky Ground” with Collier tearing it up and throwing in his favorite “Give Up the Funk” quotes.
It was impossible to encapsulate twenty incredible years of jam into an hour and 25 minutes, but this was the very best way to celebrate with Mike, Jeff, Jim, Jamie, and Chris and their friends!
Congratulations!
[PETS: Bloom Bloom , Iceberg, Travel > Rainy Days, Caribou > speedup > earth chaser > mbox, Shakey Ground, Rage (Rosie), Pmind, Coyotes, Pass It Down]
[…] You probably know him better as Jamie Newitt, drummer of The Heavy Pets, who just celebrated their 20th anniversary with shows in Miami Beach and St. Petersburg. His mix was engaging and entertaining, the perfect way to launch […]