GROOVY personified, The Brook & The Bluff played a euphoric, sold out show last night at the Constellation Room in Santa Ana, CA. These Birmingham natives are true masters of their craft and perform with such a high caliber of excellence— It almost doesn’t feel right to have such gifted musical geniuses all together in the same band. The only explanation for their coming together as a group must be divine intervention, because this level of talent simply cannot be mustered up by human efforts alone. No exaggeration in the slightest, The Brook & The Bluff is unmatched.
Lead singer and lyricist Joseph Settine, drummer John Canada, guitarist Alec Bolton, and bassist Fred Lankford each play an irreplaceable role in the soulful dynamics of their music. Accompanying the quartet on the keys was Kevin Canada, yet another musical genius. Together, they delivered angelic harmonies, sensational sounds, and powerfully evocative lyrics.
Their joyful energy carried throughout the entire night. Joseph Settine frequently did his iconic whip-arounds on stage. Halfway through their set, the quartet gathered around a vintage microphone and performed their beautiful acoustic rendition of the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby”. The crowd was also delighted to hear a cameo performance from world-renown singer/songwriter Ashe.
The chemistry between Ashe and the boys was tangibly visible and resembled a sweet friendship. “Off the Lawn” was especially fun, as Settine led the room to sidestep left and right cohesively to the beat. Not one moment of the night went wasted. In summary, every Brook & The Bluff show is just one damn good, soulful jam session.
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Show date: 11.17.22 | Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory Constellation Room | Groovy Personified: The Brook & The Bluff
Opener: Sam McPherson
Sam MacPherson opened up for The Brook & The Bluff last night at the Constellation Room in Santa Ana, CA. In this intimate setting, @sam_macpherson captivated the room with charming guitar melodies and beautifully honest lyrics.
He prefaced the song “Last Minute” by telling the story of an on and off again love interest— expressing the painful years that passed by in between seasons of being close to her. After moving across the country, he reluctantly accepted there’d be no chance of a future together. The crowd anticipated the song would be an aching ballad for “almost relationships”. However, at the last minute (appropriately to the song title), MacPherson dropped the news, “and now she’s here in the room tonight”. Pleasantly surprised and giddy, the whole room cheered and buzzed with excitement as feelings of love and hope quickly filled the air. It was a perfect way to end his set and to prepare the room for the main act, The Brook & The Bluff.
Sam MacPherson is a promising singer/songwriter. His music can be found on all streaming platforms. Listen to his latest single Backseat (All I Got) and if you’re local to New Jersey, see him live at his first headline show at home in Asbury Park at the House of Independents on December 22nd.
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