Written by Michael Pittman
Nov 12, 2010 at 08:00 PM
Everyone say Pahhhhtyy! Ok, just the guys now… Pahhhtyy! All you ladies now … Pahhhtyyyy! You guessed it, Bob Schneider invaded the House of Blues last Friday night with his trademark eclectic style and songwriting, bringing a heavy dose of Austin party rock with him. Believe me, the packed Music Hall partied and rocked for the just over 2 hours including the 3 song encore.

 

If I was to try to describe Schneider is 25 words or less I’d have to say things like ‘eclectic, smart, introspective, explicit, explicit, more explicit, unique, a rocker, great songwriter and performer, creative with music and art. Last but not least, judging by the number of ladies staring starry eyed I’d have to say sexy too. Well, they’d probably want to put a capitol S on that and I don’t think dating Sandra Bullock hurt that image at all!

 

“I have a feeling people are never really gonna know who I am,” Bob Schneider says of himself. Of 2001’s LonelyLand he says “These are songs that speak for themselves and speak for me.” As for his eclectic style he says “How could I expect to keep myself, let alone anyone else, interested if each song didn’t do its own thing or follow its own path?”

 

Just as eclectic as his music is, so are all the different instruments they played that night. I found it refreshing that the band could move easily from instrument to instrument and from sound to sound depending on the style of song. Whether it be straight ahead rock, reggae, a ballad or whatever struck him at the moment didn’t seem to matter, they handled it with ease. After the show I asked for a song list, but I was told that there wasn’t one because Schneider called out the songs on stage as they went. This surprised me because the show was as smooth as though there was one carefully put together before the show.

 

Schneider (vocals, guitar, keyboards, xylophone, tenor guitar, ukulele, banjo, melodica, harmonica, and trumpet) led Conrad Chouchroun (drums, xylophone, vocals, human beat box, and steel drums), Harmoni Kelley (bass, vocals), Billy Cassis (guitar, vocals) and Oliver Steck (trumpet, accordian, baritone horn, harmonica, vocals, pocket recorder, bass, penny whistle, keyboards, and soft shoe).

 

 

Most of the material came from the 2009 release Lovely Creatures with a range of songs like Til Someone Catches a Feeling, Realness of Space, the salsa style Bombanaza, (complete with horns and steel drums), and probably one his more popular songs to date, Changing Your Mind. Changing Your Mind appeared in the 2009 film Harmony and Me. The 2001 release Lonelyland followed close behind with songs like 2002, Bullets and World Exploded Into Love. True to form, where most other bands would want to hit the stage with a rocker, Schneider started the evening with the introspective 2002 as if to say “Ok, I’m giving a look into my soul, now….let’s GO” and built the pace with the funky Bullets from Lonelyland, and Ice Cream Smile from earlier days with The Scabs. Lovely Creatures’ sing-a-long Tarantula made it into the set list and became an instant audience participation hit. The last song of the evening was Getting Better from 2004’s I’m Good Now and is a light airy tune of having no troubles and being happy with the day.

 

Schneider is Schneider and if you’re ready to Pahhhtyyy, he’s ready too! Another great show at the House of Blues!