ARTICLE CONTRIBUTED BY GABRIEL DAVID BARKIN | PUBLISHED ON  APRIL 1, 2024

LEBO & FRIENDS

Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz gathered an ensemble of funky friends for two sets of soulful rock and roll at The Chapel in San Francisco on Friday night.

The accompanying troupe for this outing of Lebo’s ever-shapeshifting lineup of Friends were Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band), Hammond B-3 organ and vocals; Vicki Randle (The Tonight Show band, Mavis Staples), percussion and vocals; Steve Adams (Lebo’s longtime bandmate in ALO), bass and vocals; and Scott Rager (Tea Leaf Green) on drums. The ensemble was enhanced by special guest appearances from Reed Mathis on guitar and Cameron Washington on trumpet.

DAN “LEBO” LEBOWITZ & REED MATHIS

Lebo was enthusiastic about this version of Friends: “This lineup simultaneously felt like a powerhouse freight liner and somehow at the same time, a delicate rose. I loved the spirit that each musician brought to it. The grooves and pocket were deep as can be, but never at the expense of the more subtle layers of color and complexity.”

The “friends” might also be said to include the devoted audience of “shapeshifters,” ALO’s ardent fanbase, which is particularly strong in the Bay Area. As always when Lebo plays, many familiar faces filled the nearly sold-out Chapel auditorium.

MELVIN SEALS

The song selection included originals by Lebo, Adams, and Seals as well as timeless classics –for instance, the Meters’ “Hey Pocky Way” and the Talking Heads’ “Slippery People.” Unsurprisingly, with Seals in the band, Lebo and Friends also played a few selections from the Grateful Dead / JGB catalog, the Hunter-Garcia original “They Love Each Other” and the Little Milton chestnut “That’s What Love Will Make You Do.” At the stroke of midnight, Lebo led the band through Peter Rowan’s “Midnight Moonlight.”

Among the originals were Lebo’s “Try” and “I Wanna Feel It,” two ALO songs that are frequently played in his Lebo and Friends shows. The latter was sandwiched in the middle of the show-ending cover of the Rolling Stones “Loving Cup” (with a tease of the Dead’s “China Cat Sunflower” riff in the segue solo).

STEVE ADAMS & VICKI RANDLE

Steve Adams also contributed an ALO tune of his own, “The Party (I’m Sorry I Missed).” One of Melvin Seals’ two originals was his instrumental “Summer Jam,” with Reed Mathis joining Lebo for dueling guitars on that delightful jazz-funk composition.

Randle’s vocal turns were among the highlights, particularly her takes on Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles” and The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There.” Randle expressed humility to the crowd: “I’m doing an imitation of the great Mavis Staples. I’m not worthy. But I did work with her for eight years.” Despite her attestation to the contrary, Randle’s version was indeed worthy! Guest Cameron Washington chimed in with a trumpet solo from the elite window in a private box high above the stage.

LEBO, SCOTT RAGER, AND CAMERON WASHINGTON

The quality of Lebo’s playing (which is always at least killer, if not killer-diller) can be judged in part by how bouncy he is. Watch him while he solos: the more he dives down into his ready-to-leapfrog crouch, the more totters on tiptoe, the more he springs into the air – well, the more animated he is, the more gusto he puts into his strings. That in turn riles up the audience, and the energy itself bounces back to Lebo’s fingers. It’s a magical feedback loop!

LEBO BOUNCE

And at The Chapel, Lebo was bouncing like Pooh’s friend Tigger on a coiled mattress. There was no “Lebo Leap” (fans know he will often climb onto a chair or a speaker or a piano on stage and jump enthusiastically into the air as his solo reaches a crescendo), but he more than made up for it with lively enthusiasm. He’s not only one of the most distinctive and enthusiastic guitar players to listen to; he’s also one of the most fun guitar players to watch.

DAN “LEBO” LEBOWITZ

Lebo always wears a smile. (Well, most of the time.) He’s got a lot of friends, musicians and fans alike. And for good reason. Lebo and Friends always deliver good times.

“Such a satisfying night from start to finish,” Lebo said after the show. “Can’t wait to explore this lineup again!”

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Review and photos by Gabriel Barkin | www.gdbarkin.com | IG: @gabrieldavidbarkin