The Willowz & The Detroit Cobras @ The Clubhouse August 14
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HOT SNAKES
The Willowz and the Detroit Cobras
The Clubhouse
August 14, 2007
Better Than: Finally living out your dreams and buying that forklift
I had grave apprehensions about seeing a band named “The Willowz” but my fears were entirely unfounded. Apparently they started out in 2002 as garage punkers but now they look like four American high school kids circa 1972 and from the sound of it, they’re of the Sabbath/Zeppelin/Stones worshipping variety. Lots of good to great heavy rock interplay with the perfect leavening of soul and country-folk spices. Singer Richie James Follin has a nice nasally voice that cuts through the thud and thunder and drummer Loren Humphrey has a huge kit which he certainly knows how to use. Bass player Jessica Reynoza tore at the rigging like Blackbeard himself was on her tail, and their lead axe-slinger (Aric Bohn) was a six-foot beanpole with two Strats and a paisley tunic. The kid never looked happier than when he was doddering around on his spindly legs and toppling into the amps like they were a big pile of beanbags, but he managed to maintain a refined counterpoint to Follin’s rhythmic bashings. They ventured into feedback and effects but never let it detract from the main wallop: they stuck to their guns. Spunk and guts and a sense of humor too. A-O.K.