The Nashville Soul of Anderson East

Anderson East
Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
03.04.16

I have never seen the Tractor Tavern so packed as on the night Anderson East came to town, the line stretching down the block just to get it. From that point forward, I knew I was in for something special.

Dylan LeBlanc opened the show and was a bit of a “Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde”. During sound check, he was rather mild mannered and reserved, however as the show marched on his rocker personality came out. The crowd could tell he was hitting his stride during songs like “Cautionary Tale,” a throwback tune to late 80’s rock with harmonious dual guitars and a hard driving tempo. His voice cracked while hitting those tough notes; it showed how much life he was putting into the show. His performance reached its boiling point when he decided to cover ELO’s “Showdown,” a song that immediately makes me think of the scene from Kingpin where Woody Harrelson battled Bill Murray in a bowling match-up for the ages. Dylan LeBlanc looked like a young Tom Petty, had the soul of John Hiatt, and the gratitude and thanks of a travelling singer-songwriter.

At this point, the Tractor was packed to the brim – a sauna from all the fans – the buzz was palpable. When Nashville R&B crooner Anderson East took the stage, the screams were deafening. Sporting a leather jacket, he looked like Kid Niki from Grease and he opened with “Find Em’, Fool Em’, Forget Em,” a bluesy soul tune that got the crowd’s blood pumping. Throughout the night, East channeled James Brown’s dance moves and had the same amount of confidence as the Godfather of Soul.

While his original material is a wonderful brand of music where Delta blues meets Nashville, this night belonged to the bold covers he chose, beginning with Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby,” a surprisingly tender choice for such a powerful voice. He transitioned to Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey,” disarming the ladies in the crowd. With the legendary David Bowie’s passing still fresh on our mind, East paid tribute with a spirited version of the icon’s “Rebel Rebel.” By the end of the night, he added other covers of Sam Smith, Amil Stewart, and the Killers to the roster.

The surprise of the night and the cover that took the crowd by storm was his version of Sam Cooke’s classic, “Bring It On Home To Me,” when he brought up one of Seattle’s favorite daughters, Brandi Carlile, to join him for a duet. The raucous atmosphere turned into a listening room as the each brought their own warmth to an already soulful tune. They danced on the small stage and gave the audience quite the treat on this special night.

With all this talk about the covers, I would not be giving justice to this night of music without mentioning East’s stripped-down performance of “What A Woman Wants To Hear.” A soul-baring ballad that featured his electric guitar, this song evoked Nashville with its cascading riffs and subtle notes. East’s voice is a force to be reckoned with, but he showed the tenderness of a classic balladeer, leaving it all on stage on this Friday night. I was expecting one of his band mates to drape a blanket over him a la Bobby Bird for James Brown. Scotty Murray, East’s guitarist, described the night perfectly, “Music not only moves, but it can remove your ailments. In this life, you are definitely not alone.” This was true for the crowd on this night. No one was alone, the music cleaned our soul, and we left absolutely moved.

Review and photos by Phillip Johnson

Anderson East