CONCERT REVIEW
Unable to commit
by Seth Rogovoy(PITTSFIELD, Mass., March 19, 1997) -- In the beginning there was a novel by Roddy Doyle about the Commitments, a ragtag group of would-be musicians playing American soul music in Dublin. Then the novel was made into a movie directed by Alan Parker, released in 1991. The performance by the fictional band in the movie was so good that someone got the bright idea to turn it into a real band -- a case of life imitating art, or Monkee see, Monkee do, depending on your point of view.
No matter that most of the actors from the film, including the extraordinary lead singer, Andrew Strong, chose not to take part in the real-life version of the fictional band. Nor that the real-life band could not legally call itself the Commitments. Details, all just details.
Jump ahead to St. Patrick's Day, 1997. A large crowd gathers in the former ENGLAND Brothers department store to celebrate the one day of the year set aside for the IRISH by listening to a band from Ireland modeled after the fictional movie group play songs made famous by black Americans. Both drummers from the movie band are in the new group, except one is now the lead singer, an actor named Dave Finnegan who played the incendiary Mickah Wallace in the movie and is now known as Tim Finnegan. He introduces one of the two female vocalists as Tracy McCracken from the movie. There was no such person listed in the credits for the film, but as best as anyone can guess, she changed her name along with her hair color.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Committed, which they certainly were, along with the crowd at the Studio on Monday night, which was committed to having a good time in spite of the dizzying degree of ironies swirling around the occasion. And the fact is, when it came down to it, it didn't matter if they were the Commitments, the Committed or the Omitments, as one wag coined them. They came to play great old songs like "Hard to Handle," "Hold On, I'm Comin'," "Chain of Fools" and "Treat Her Right," and to provide a real-life crowd with the soundtrack to a party so real it was lifelike, which they did. Just to be sure, you could pinch yourself, and when it hurt, you knew you weren't just acting.
In all seriousness, the Committed put on an exciting show. While in appearance Finnegan was the polar opposite of Strong -- wiry and bald instead of bloated and shaggy -- his intense energy lit the place on fire. The group performed a tight, vibrant set of classic soul, and the backup vocalists had their Motown moves down straight. And once again, Wilson Pickett did not show up.
Local R&B band Ben Jamin' warmed up the crowd with its own incendiary brand of blues. The six-piece outfit mixed classic covers by the likes of B.B. King with a few originals off its upcoming CD, "Tools of the Trade." Frontman Jeff King, on vocals and guitar, boasted a big, commanding voice, which was driven home by the dynamite rhythm section of drummer John Haddad and bassist Andy Lack. The group also boasted a funky, two-man horn section featuring Jerry Quinn and Tommy Pickard. The opening slot is always a tough one, but this band was happening.
[This review originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on March 19, 1997. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1997. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy
rogovoy@berkshire.net
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