Article by: Jessica Gorrell

BOSTON – Despite the bleak overcast and the downpour that graced Boston only hours before The California Honeydrops were set to play, the line of fans waiting to get into Brighton Music Hall was halfway down the street. Anticipation for the show was running high as well, and for a good reason. The energy was already high as opener Jittery Jack took the stage and performed some seriously swinging songs, practically forcing the entire audience to dance – no, not just sway back and forth, but seriously dance.

The atmosphere only grew brighter (and more cramped) as The California Honeydrops took the stage, earning an incredibly enthusiastic greeting from a nearly full capacity audience, which came as a surprise to the group, and myself – it was almost impossible to maneuver through the undulating crowd to take photos of the band.
Throughout the first few songs performed, the energy increased with cheering, dancing, and a chorus of lyrics being sung right back at the stage. “You guys are showing us a good time here in Boston!” Lead singer Lech Wierzynski laughed, clearly expecting a lesser turn-out for their very first show in Boston, ever.

Launching into “When It Was Wrong,” a familiar tune from their 2010 album Spreadin’ Honey, allowed Wierzynski some major interaction with the audience while Lorenzo Loera, keyboardist, bassist Baeu Bradbury, and drummer Ben Malament, kept up the beat. “I bet you guys think you know what this song is about, right?” Lech began, in reference to relationships, “It’s all about keeping it all together.” He continued to turn it into a battle of the sexes, saying: “we’re going to have a little singing contest: men, you sing ‘when it was wrong,’ and ladies, ‘I liked it better,’” And, rather than one group trying to overpower the other, the whole of Brighton Music Hall had turned into a wonderful chorus of voices, melding and singing right back towards the stage for just as many reasons as there were audience members.

After keeping the groove alive and well, and even toying with the lyrics of R Kelly’s “Bump n’ Grind,” “When It Was Wrong” had finally come to a close for the evening, allowing Wierzynski to segway into some of his deeper lyrics. Explaining that his uncle told him that the band needs “to write a socially conscious song; enough of this hempy shit,” (which earned laugher and a number of catcalls from the crowd) Wierzynski counted in and Malament struck up the beat for “Long Way.” One soulful jam later and the band was exiting stage left for a short break, promising a full second set once they returned.

During the brief intermission, I was able to exchange a few words with Wierzynski, giving him my opinion on their ability to play live: truthfully, I believe they sound better live than they do on their album.  Lech responded with a smile and thanked me, saying that they “just really like to get a feel for what’s going on,” in terms of vibe – as if they feed off the energy of the crowd. They seem to always play up to the crowd, but will never diminish their skills for a crowd who’s not up to their standards: a lovely standard to set for live performances.

The beginning of the second set brought a different energy; equally entertaining, but more focused on the groove than the entertainment. The California Honeydrops definitely know how to cater to the needs of their fans and proved that by making it their priority in this half of the show to play all of the spur-of-the-moment requests that fans had shouted out. Playing tracks like “Crazy Girls,” and “Like You Mean It,” were more than enough to get the crowd to dance (especially after Malament’s entertaining washboard performance) but the hypnotic and rhythmic swaying came instantly with Malament’s orders to “stop looking at the stage, move what your momma gave you, and groove.” The band swept right into a long really sweet jam session complete with vocal runs that give James Brown a run for his money, and a tear-jerking sax solo provided by Mr. Johnny Bones. A song or two more and The California Honeydrops had left the stage for the night, followed by the raucous screams, catcalls, and the thunderous applause of their fans. It’s safe to say that, after their first night in Boston, the Honeydrops will always be welcome here as long as they can continue to move, groove, and provide good vibes and great times for all.