Twiddle • Concert Review

Live in Washington, DC

Gypsy Sally’s • Nov. 21, 2014

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By Matthew Bowers

If you’ve been paying attention at all in the last few years to the Jamband scene, then there’s no doubt you’ve come across the name Twiddle. The four piece from Vermont has been touring relentlessly and have garnered a loyal and frenzied fan base in very impressive fashion. Blending uptempo reggae with deep grooves and funky basslines, these guys have a wide array of musical influences that they incorporate into their original material. They don’t just play their songs either, they take them for rides into the stratosphere with spot-on improvisation and a massive amount of talent.

This past Friday Gypsy Sally’s in downtown Washington, DC played host to Twiddle’s inaugural show in the Nation’s Capital. This would be my first time having the pleasure of seeing the band in person, and I was extremely excited to finally see what all my musical friends have been gushing about. In the few minutes before the band took the stage, the energy in the room built with anticipation and everyone in the room was primed and ready for a good old fashion throw down. The band would not disappoint.

Opening the night with “Subconscious Prelude,” the Vermont quartet came out firing right out of the gate. Guitarist Mihali Savoulidis led the dark groovy jam with his eye opening guitar work. This guy can flat out shred, and throughout the night he would continue to impress. The band has mastered the art of “tension and release” jams, and Savoulidis’ soaring guitar and great vocals, they really have something special going on.

Next up in the first set was “Wildfire,” which would give the drummer Brooke Jordan a chance to show off his vocal skills. This was a short, danceable straightforward tune with a seriously catchy guitar riff. “Carter Candlestick” gave the band a chance to show off their chops by way of an intricate composed section reminiscent of some of the earlier Phish compositions. The funky space groove and acrobatic guitar solo made the smiles that were already on everyone’s faces even bigger. The upbeat and poppy “Mamunes Fawn” gave a chance for bass player Zdenek Gubb and Keyboardist Ryan Dempsey to take solos, and they most definitely made the most of the opportunity. All four members of this band are equally impressive musically, even with Savoulidis being the clear leader of the band. The first set closed out with “Syncopated Healing,” and in my opinion it was the highlight of the first set. Reminiscent of Phish’s “Reba,” the jam is gentle and blissful and builds into a frenetic peak with Savoulidis’ guitar soaring into the stratosphere. There was a moment when I looked around during the vocal section and noticed more than a few people singing all the words, which I thought was great and showed the reach of their fan base.

The second set would end up being a more rocking set, with the majority of extended improve coming from one song. “White Light” opened the set with a short jam that got the crowd dancing, and “Earth Mama” slowed things down a bit with it’s mellow reggae groove. The real meat of the second set came with “Latin Tang.” This would end up being a solid 30 minute, beast of a jam. This one went really out there. After a short funky groove, the entire band but drummer Brooks Jordan left the stage. This gave a chance for Jordan to take a lengthy solo and really show off his chops. Gubb was the first one to return to the stage, and after a super funky bass solo the rest of the band came out and decided to switch things up. Savoulidis took a spot on the keys, while Gubb took lead guitar and Dempsey played bass. Jordan got to stick to his usual seat behind the drums. After taking a chance to show off their impressive versatility, the band went back to their usual positions. The jam went into the cosmos from there, groove after groove kept the crowd in a sweat. I was more than happy to join the crowd in this good old fashion throw down of a dance party. The band then gave the crowd a much needed breather with “Friendly Theme” and closed out the set with a “Hatties Jam/When it Rains it Pours” combo which once again had the majority of the crowd singing every single word. The encore started off with an instrumental version of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” which was admittedly awesome and hilarious at the same time. Of course that’s not how they would finish the night, as quickly segued into an unexpected La Bamba. A perfect party song to put a cap on the best party in the district Friday night, at least for any fan of live music.

As a first time attendee of a Twiddle concert, I can definitely say that will not be my last one (in fact, I went to the 8×10 in Baltimore the next night). And it’s a very safe bet to assume that if there were any other Twiddle first timers at Gypsy Sally’s on Friday, it won’t be their last either. I look forward to seeing what these guys have in store for the future. Keep an eye on this band!