Karen Ponzio Photos.
Pat Stone performing with a full band at cafe nine.
“Thanks for coming out on this scorching Sunday,” said Billy Scovill of The Ambulance Chasers as they opened a three-band bill at Cafe Nine Sunday afternoon. It was indeed a scorcher outside, but the corner of State and Crown was the perfect place to cool off with icy drinks and a trio of CT-based bands playing the kind of rock that fires everyone up and almost makes you forget you have to go back to work the next day.
The Ambulance Chasers began the proceedings with a feisty seven-song set in which Scovill on vocals and guitar, Sam Dailey on bass, and Andrew Byrne on drums offered a flourish of sound that rose into a steady driving beat and kept at that for the first three songs, layering lyrics of humor and humility with a sound that shattered genres and created something wholly unique (dare I say, Ambulance Chaser-esque?).
Scovill said one song was about “what you do when you’ve exhausted all other options and hop the circus train.”
“Like a carny?” someone shouted out.
“I wish I was a carny,” he answered back, to laughter. Like the best parts of the circus, the three kept the audience rapt and ready for what might happen next, whether it was a bluesy twang to a tune or more heavy riffs. During the Ports of Spain set Sam Carlson would say this band was one of his favorites. Check them out online or, even better, at a live show, and they may become one of yours, too.
Ports of Spain came to the stage next, the duo of Carlson on drums and vocals and Ilya Gitelman on guitar creating a sound like there were at least two to three more musicians up there with them. They have probably heard that comment quite often over the 15 years they’ve been together, but in as many times as I have seen them, it still boggles the mind that they can actually do it, all while manipulating their instruments so deftly as to appear to be barely touching them.
Carlson joked around often in between songs, mentioning before they even got started that their gratitude for everyone coming out on this day.
“If they have the footage of the cows playing, that’s how I feel today: like a cow in direct sunlight,” Carlson joked, referencing what was playing on the TV screens over the bar.
The duo played nine powerful and poetic songs that felt as if they built upon one another, much like how Gitelman layered a multitude of sounds through his pedal board, yet it never felt like too much. It was clear they were having a great time, perfectly in sync with one another. The audience loved them, and they loved the audience back.
“If you need help moving, if you need someone to sit with your dog, call either one of us, we’re there for you,” Carlson said when the set was over. Many in the audience pleaded instead for one more song. That’s another thing about Ports of Spain: no matter how long they play for, you always want more.
Pat Stone arrived on stage with a full band, six members strong — the first time they had all played a live show together. Stone released an album titled Between Apathy and Opposition two months ago, and he and the band would be performing it in its entirety at this show.
“Hey, what’s up?” said Stone. “My name is Pat. This is my band. All right,” and then launched right into a one-two punch of “Hot Take” and the title song of the album.
“Between apathy and opposition, raise the flag, renounce the vision. Got an axe to grind, got a new position. Dying to live, decomposition,” Stone sang and played guitar along with Gleeson Edwards on vocals and percussion, Walker DesTroismaisons on guitar, Will Talamelli on bass, Sean Conway on keys, and Nick Cannato on drums. The band kept the music loud and loose. leaving each other smiling after each song even when the lyrics tackled some serious subjects.
“That was a lot of fun,” Stone said after multiple songs.
“Slip and Slide” told the story of “summer fun gone wrong” and “Regular Dudes” was about how Stone met someone who was a fan and then proceeded to “ruin their night” by not living up to their expectations.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t the right vibe,” he sang with sincerity, adding in the chorus “never meet your heroes, baby, ‘cause you might find they’re just regular dudes.”
The songs “Quicksand” and “The Answer” found Stone pondering life’s questions while the band kept the music upbeat, though they slowed it down for “Anhedonia,” in which Stone and Edwards harmonized sweetly while many in the crowd swayed along.
They finished up with “Don’t Love It,” “Labor of Love,” and the song “White Whale” that Stone said was about January 6th, and yes indeed, had a couple of references to that famous Herman Melville book.
Stone’s full band shone on its first live outing, the new songs striking a balance between finding one’s place in the world while also finding a world that keeps shifting the spaces where it lets one be. Fortunately we still have places like Cafe Nine where you can come in, cool off, and escape for a few hours when it gets a bit too much elsewhere.
Pat Stone will be playing next at Three Sheets on another Sunday afternoon, this time as part of their Unplugged series, on Aug. 11. Follow all three acts on social media for more information about future shows and recordings.