Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Danny Zelisko Presents (https://www.dannyzeliskopresents.com/ )
Venue: Talking Stick Resort – Showroom (https://www.talkingstickresort.com/ )
Date: Saturday February 19th, 2022
Every location has their local bands that all hope to make that one big leap into the big time. For most local bands, they end up being just local bands that play in local bars and small venues. Every once in a while, they might get to under-bill a touring band at a larger venue. For the most part all of these bands have talented musicians, but it takes a hit song and a lot of luck for them to make the jump. For us in the greater Phoenix area, we have had a few bands that have made it big, including The Meat Puppets, Gin Blossoms, Roger Cycle and the Peacemakers, The Tubes and the Godfather of shock rock, Alice Cooper. After seeing The Black Moods on Saturday night, I believe we can add them to the next wave of great bands from here.
What makes a great band: Talent?, Quality songs?, Charismatic performance? Luck? I believe it requires all of these traits with luck being high on the list. Luckily, The Black Moods seem to have all of these in spades. Another thing that makes a band stand out is if the audience sings along with the music. This means the fans really like the songs and that in a way they are catchy. For tonight’s performance, a lot of the audience was singing along with the band and at time, Josh would encourage the audience to sing the next verse or chorus. This makes the audience feel like they are part of the experience.
For those that have never heard of The Black Moods, they are a good old fashion rock and roll band that sound a lot like the Foo Fighters. The lead guitarist and lead singer, Josh Kennedy reminds me a lot of a young Peter Frampton. His playing style and mannerisms are a lot like Peter’s. At the show on Saturday night Josh with his long curly hair was decked out in a white tee-shirt and white bell bottom jeans. I was taken back to Peter Frampton on his “Frampton Come Alive Tour”. Joining Josh was Chico on drums and bass player Jordan Hoffman. While not as energetic as Josh, both Chico and Jordon provided the underlying force behind the music. They supplied the bassline and groove that held everything together. This let Josh supplement the sound with driving guitar riffs and aggressive rhythm passages. Together they blended perfectly to provide a masterful evening of rock & roll music.
The Black Moods have produced 3 studio albums. At the show, Josh indicated that they are working on releasing a new album soon. I really enjoy their studio albums, but they are even better live. The show started with an intro by The Who. Then they launch into “Can’t Sleep at Night”. This brought the crowd to their feet and a lot of them never sat down for the rest of the night. Most of the songs were from their current albums, Sunshine and Medicine. A few songs from tonight’s show will be on that new album.
If you get the chance to see The Black Moods, I HIGHLY recommend it. They say that music can change or enhance a person’s mood. For me I just felt happy after listening to them pay for 2 hours. You will love their songs and the pure energy the band puts into their performance. You can find out more information about The Black Moods and upcoming tour dates and locations on either their website or Facebook page.
Website: https://theblackmoods.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheBlackMoods/
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
The Black Moods Setlist: (Album)
Can’t Sleep at Night (with The Who intro)
Whatcha Got (Sunshine)
Bad News (Sunshine)
Guitar Solo
Like a Wave (The Black Moods)
On & On
Throwin’ Shade (Sunshine)
Dirty Mess (Sunshine)
Say It for the Last Time (Medicine)
Do Eeeeeet
She Gets Out
Paralyzed (Medicine)
Whenever It Rains (Medicine)
Heartbeats
Without a Warning (Medicine)
Right Now Anywhere (Medicine)
Hollywood
Someone to Save Us (Medicine)
Saturday Night (new video)
Encore:
Home (Sunshine)
Sunshine (Sunshine)
Bella Donna (Sunshine)
