Smokin Moses at Smalls in Hamtramck

Smokin Moses, Winds of Neptune, and St. James and the Apostles bring the power of rock music to save our souls at Small’s.

Salvation through Smokin Moses at Small’s

Brothers and Sisters, I am here to testify. The power of the almighty riff lords Smokin Moses laid their hands upon me at Small’s. Dear people, they spoke to me with a tongue of fire. Not unlike the prophet Moses, when the Lord spoke to him through a burning bush, I’m here to tell you friends that the glory of the mighty riff has saved my soul! Hallelujah!

Seriously, the power of rock music turned the stage at Small’s into a musical altar. It felt like heaven to hear each band exclaim the power of rock music: every beat, every note, every word emitting the bristling energy of pure rock fury.

St. James and the Apostles

Coming in from Philadelphia was St. James and the Apostles, who shared the gospel of rock with all of us sinners. The band includes Jamie Mahon (guitar), Mike Kiker (organ), Jeff Castner (drums), and Mark Candidi (bass). They describe themselves as “Punk gospel family freakout,” which sums up their show perfectly. Dressed in a vestment of white, Jamie Mahon used his voice and guitar to breathe the fire of the lord. Locked in tight and punching hard were Castner’s drums and Candidi’s bass. Filling the space between the guitars and drums like a psychedelic incense was the keys of Mike Kiker. They set a high bar for the bands to follow.

Winds of Neptune

Winds of Neptune delivered a sonic sermon of epic proportions. This was my first time experiencing this band sharing their masterful and heavy tunes bursting with riffs. Forging an iron foundation of burly bass and snapping drums are Ross Westerbur (bass) and Mike Alonso (drums). Upon this firm footing, guitarist Kevin Roberts levels a barrage of riffs and sin-eating licks. Ross’s soaring vocals add to the fervent need induced by the music. All I could do as I watched and listened was shake my head in awe-struck wonder. If you dig hard-hitting 1970s-era bands such as UFO and Captain Beyond, or more modern incarnations like Earthless, you need Winds of Neptune.

Smokin Moses

Years ago, at the Ann Arbor Art Fair of all places, I was left speechless by a band called Universal Temple of Divine Power. When that band broke up, sadness was replaced with joy upon hearing Black Irish. One key ingredient for me in each of those bands was Elliot Moses. His soulful voice, combined with dynamite guitar playing, turned me into a long-time fan. Turns out the band prior to these adventures was called Smokin Moses. Joining Elliot in this incarnation is Dylan McCarty (drums/vocals), Matt Lieder (guitar), and Jason Quartuccio (bass/vocals).

Their set included many of my favorites, such as “Hand of God” and “Move It On Over.” Matt Lieder’s fingers danced across the fretboard, making his Les Paul scream and shout. Matt and Elliott traded licks on the smokin’ boogie of “Bite The Apple”. The brilliant Dylan McCarty kept this hard-rocking blues train running hot with tight beats. Adding to the rhythmic punch was the superlative bass of Jason Q. 

About halfway through their set, Elliot invited Mike Kiker (keyboards for St. James) to the stage. They jammed the propulsive tune “Lately”. On top of his bass skills, Jason provided the high-flying vocals to this tune, which stoked its emotional heft. Finally, Elliot called Brandon Calhoon up for the last couple of songs. This included a stupidly awesome cover from The UP in tribute to the late Gary Rasmussen. Brandon’s vocals were absolutely incendiary and oozing with soul.

Pictures

We’ve got more photos from this stellar show of sonic rock and roll soul featuring St. James and the Apostles, Winds of Neptune, and Smokin Moses in our gallery.