The Ginger Bakers 2011.07.14 The Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery Boca Raton, FL

The Ginger Bakers

A few months ago I feel into a routine of Thursday nights kicking off the weekend. I some how justify this by playing up the theme of casual Friday. Not asking you to buy it, but it certainly has it selling points.  Lately I have been laying low on that schedule due to a constant series of traveling, which is not a bad trade off considering most of it was for music. Last night I forced my second wind after wrapping up a piece and decided to grab my camera  before heading over to the Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery. The BLP crew was there in good numbers and The Ginger Bakers were putting on their second show ever. The ode to Cream a la red head glorifying name may be new to the scene but the faces are familiar. The power rock trio is comprised of members of The Heavy Pets, so this incarnation is technically a side project, but the raw tenacity and uniquely dynamic style sets them apart from their parent project in a more ways than one. The first contrast that comes to mind is a much heavier sound. The tones were defined and it often seemed like there were more than 3 guys on stage. The improvisation is geared towards trading individual solos by Jeff and Justin, as opposed to the Pets style of building the jam with all the members being on board before peaking. I like both approaches but it is refreshing to see Jeff given so much space to really let loose on the 6 strings.

The vibe was very relaxed but the venue had a decent weekday turn out. The guys personalized the experienced by dropping gimmicky puns like announcing the name of the band after each tune and emphasizing Jamie's new ride cymbal. Everyone was loose and this heightened the experience. Many of the song selections are covers with a few originals sprinkled in. The formula is a balanced and many of the songs simply serve as a platform for jumping in an extended jam section.

Jeff Lloyd

During set break we discussed Jeff's Atlantic City Phish experience over last Halloween. The conversation was fitting give the Pets had announced a Langerado lineup spot opening for the Trey Anastasio Band - news that we had actually gotten earlier that day.

The second set made it difficult to leave as each song was better than the last.  A particularly nice sequence started with Jamie breaking in the new ride cymbal and skillfully faded into an explosive showcase of Jeff bringing crisp peaks one after another. I have not seen him exercise that kind of focused dexterity while also really going for it, given the encouraging laid back setting, in quite some time. This was especially true in an extended Hendrix cover of Castles Made Of Sand that cleverly incorporated Thriller and The Way You Make Me Fell teases.

Jamie Newitt and Justin Carney

The clock was getting closer to 2 AM so made my exit before the second set concluded, but I hadn't make it home when I got word that they dropped a Jackie Bones. Can't win them all! Overall the show went better than expected and I see potential for this heavy Heavy Pets project in the future.

Thanks to the guys over at Cheesehead Productions for supplying the HD videos. If you missed the show be sure to check these out, it is almost as good as being there. Almost.