It is rare that you can achieve a “first” when you have been tracking a band like The Black Lillies as long as we have.  Well that happened this fine evening in the always comfy confines of Main Street Crosssing in Tomball, Tx.  Meeting up beforehand with one of thee best front man in the Americana scene, Cruz Contreras, I was tipped off in his words : “We have had this “Boy band thang” on the road for 3-4 months and I think you’re gonna dig it!” Enough said was how I felt and “boy” did they deliver!

The said male line-up consists of main man CC on acoustic guitar/piano, Sam Quinn on bass, Bowman Townsend banging drums, Philip Sterk holding down pedal steoel, and Dustin Schaefer the attitude/game changer to the face of this squad on blazing electric guitar!  Early on it was plain to see that the direction of their message had channeled to rockin’ big time with bookend jams between Schaefer and Sterk putting the crowd on notice with “Gold and Roses”!  The place was booming and I actually heard a fan say “These guys are really good!” Do ya think?!  They are so tight with CC weaving his magic giving room for everybody on the stage telling stories that most can relate to using the fine acoustics of this venue. Solid crew at every position mowed thru rumbling “40 Days”, hard and crisp tale of sweet poor “Ruby”, and bringing on the goosebumps with “Peach Pickin'” and “Love Torn Apart”. 45 minutes in and Contreras barks : “We’re getting warmed up now!” They do not mess around chewing the fat between songs other than their was a special guest, CC’s grandma, in dah house.

“All This Living” and “Ocean Sand” (maybe) were two numbers that personify the attraction to this band for us.  Hard to put a finger on it, but they bore right in to your heart and grab on to your soul! These cats have been at it since 2009 and average 175-230 gigs a year including having played the Grand Ole Opry dozens of times and multiple trips overseas on their resume. You could feel the stretch run coming with blistering Americana radio hit “Hard to Please”, rocking juke jumper “Lonely”, stellar “Fade Away” and spooky psycho blaster “Broken Shore”!!!!  With the crowd on its collective heals CC culled a standing ovation with “Whiskey Angel” followed by an out of freaking nowhere stunning version of “Comfortably Numb”!!  WOW and YIKES do not quite do this lid lifting number justice and David Gilmour himself would be proud of Mr. Schaefer’s spot on jam.  I was so blown away by that song because they actually did three MORE numbers to end a two plus hour gig and I have no clue what they were.  It stayed with me for days after and I even dragged out a Pink Floyd tee shirt. To say the Black Lillies are alive and well sans a female singer is putting it mildly.  Give this boy band a look see next time and judge for yourselves………By the way Matt,Terri, Lisa and all the fine and cool staff have it going on at MSC!  Always a good crowd and smooth as silk experiences.  Hats off to music lovers who are getting it right.         Peace and live music rules!