DRY REEF
Dry Reef at Ardmore Music Hall.
At first glance, a co-headline between Dry Reef & Yam Yam seems a bit odd: there just isn't much overlap between the bands' sounds. Yam Yam delivers a jazzy, funky part improv dance party whereas Dry Reef hits you with a slew of catchy surfy, indie rock singalongs. But as we saw at Ardmore Music Hall on Feb 10th, it works. And it works well. This show marked the 5th (or 6th) time the bands played together and they both brought some new tricks up their respective sleeves.
Dry Reef opened their set with an energetic "New Soul", a standout from their 2018 EP, Alright Revival. From there they mixed in two recent tracks, "Quicksand" and "Fog" (off of 2021's Be Home Soon) with two never previously performed songs, "Strokes" and "Yellow". In between was a splendid version of Dr. Dog's "Shadow People", showing off the range of lead singer Pat Gillen's voice. Side note: it's become somewhat an unspoken rite of passage in the Philly music scene to pay tribute to Philly bands. At risk of sounding corny, some would even say it's a Philly thing. And the crowd eats it up every time.
The show really started to take flight on the next song, as guitarist Collin O'Donnell blasted off on the outro solo of "Fantastic", making the crowd erupt in a "damn that was good" kind of response. And while the guitar solo was front and center, you can't discount drummer Joey Anderson masterfully building the energy behind the scenes, introducing multiple different beats to fully embellish O'Donnells playing. Next up were popular tracks "Start it Up", "Paint" and the "Wash", with an epic extended jam featuring Dry Reef's signature dueling guitar melodies. Even if the band denies it, you can't help but hear the 70s/80s Iron Maiden-esque hair metal influence here. The subtle guitar shredding over a jammy indie rock groove mixes surprisingly well, like a cocktail that you can't just have one of.
Guitarist Charles Minehart's vocals shined on the next song, "Car Keys", which has become a fan favorite about one of those simple things in life that everybody can relate to. In a world where most people freak out when they can't find their keys, Minehart just isn't worried about it. This one ended with a signature Reef vocal jam, showcasing a very catchy lead scat by Minehart, with Anderson and Gillen playing off it behind the scenes. The band wrapped up their set with a high flying "Checkpoints", walking off stage and finally giving the crowd a chance to breathe.
But it wasn't over yet. The house flooded the stage with green lighting, and the crowd started cheering in a kind of "I don't know what's happening but I'm here for it" manner. Collin O'Donnell came on stage in an Eagles jersey, helmet and flag wrapped like a cape and ripped a scorching "Fly, Eagles Fly" on guitar, reminiscent of the style of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock '69. As soon as the ensuing "E-A-G-L-E-S" chant ended, they launched into Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle", finishing their set (for real this time) with a proper Philadelphia Eagles tribute.
Shot and Written by Mark Franzen.
