Material: Jon Gieger is a somewhat contemporary blues artist borrowing riffs from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keb’ Mo’ and Gary Clark Jr. Gieger’s songs are well written, with catchy lyrics and good melodies, and they are on the softer end of the spectrum. This gave the audience a look-see into Gieger’s mellower, jazzy side and set the stage for an afternoon of relaxing, bluesy sounds.
Musicianship: Solid rhythm section; Watson and Buck held it down pretty good and even improvised through “Desert of My Heart” and others. Gieger had some good, jazzy licks come through on “Born to the Street” and his raspy vocals meshed well with his music. “Feeling Good” is a slow, moody, down ‘n dirty blues tune that engaged the music with his vocals and gave the audience something to sink their teeth into. Nothing fancy; just straightforward jazzy blues for your listening enjoyment.
Performance: A bit lackluster. Something wasn’t clicking. Gieger stood around looking at his bandmates for the better part of 40 minutes as if asking, “What’s wrong?” Something wasn’t right, but even in all the dishevelment, Gieger’s opening tune was born out of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s tips, tricks ‘n licks and that was just enough impetus to pull the performance through. Topping things off with a well performed version of Bill Withers' “Ain’t No Sunshine,” it received warm, well-deserved applause that had some passers-by poke their head in to see who was playing.
Summary: Most of Jon Gieger’s music is pretty good and most of the songs have enough “fancy-ness” to make them likeable and appealing. Despite being tired from his recent trip to Australia, the gig didn’t keep Gieger from being a trooper. Tunes like “Born to the Streets” and “Feeling Good” are both radio worthy and pleasing, while “Desert of My Heart” has an Australian Bushmen feel to it, with different tempos encompassing a complex tune. Jon Gieger is diverse enough to catch the ear of many a blues (as well as jazz) listener.
The Lighthouse Café Hermosa Beach, CA
Contact: [email protected]
Web: jongieger.com
Players: Jon Geiger, guitar, vocals; Chad Watson, bass; Peter Buck, drums
