While Walker Lukens develops his amazing potential and obvious talents as songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, pianist and producer, we are fortunate to witness the test runs. I missed the first opening act, Hello Wheels, but I walked in to Ruby Jane and her band finishing their sound check and continuing to blow the crowd away with incredible musicianship. Aside from a few DMB-inspired moments and the unfortunate 10+ minute “Chameleon” cover, Ruby’s fiddle playing and her smooth lead vocals were a great start to my evening.
Everything Saturday night at Stubb’s for Lukens’ release show was smooth. From the sampled vocals and rhythmic beatboxing, to the appropriately tight Sidearms backing band, the vibe in the crowd was relaxed and interested in the occasional bursts of vocal sampling and looping. There were times when Lukens pushed the envelope with washes of overdriven and delay-laden effects, Even I, a new listener to Lukens’ material, got what I expected: well-executed blue-eyed-soul-infused rock and roll with enough pop sensibilities to win over the receiving crowd.
Lukens clearly understands the stage and utilized it between his vocal processing booth, his seated piano, and the slap-back Gretsch that sat between the two. When the rhythm guitarist joined with Lukens, oftentimes with glorious harmonized riffs, the band found a great vibe that accentuated the effortless playing of everyone. A cleverly placed footswitch enabled him to add or take away vocal and rhythmic samples while simultaneously playing guitar or piano, in effect adding a fifth musician to the stage. It has become difficult in our ADD-affected pop-culture to rely on a smart groove without peppering quick rhythmic changes in a disorienting manner, but Lukens and company found a way to offer classic rock and roll stylings with a contemporary live approach accentuating the lead man’s ability to carry a band and dictate the pulse.
“You’re looking at me like I just broke up with you; you should be looking at me like I just proposed to you,” said Lukens after the first three or four numbers. This seemed to be a turning point in the performance. Or at least signaled the different routes this talented Austin musician is able to take. When Lukens decided to play piano, the songs took a mellow, softer approach. While not necessarily piano ballads, these songs were certainly more accessible pop-oriented numbers. Granted live performances never have enough clarity on the vocals to always distinguish what is being sung, the mid-tempo piano grooves balanced the set’s more passionate performance highlights.
“Year of the Dog” was a standout early in the set, establishing a dirty vibe that the audience ate up, bobbing heads and twisting hips to the sexualized red-light energy. This song loosened the band up, garnering a few extra smiles on-stage from the performers; it’s great to see when the performers feel the energy the audience emits back at them. Lukens has the fleeting ability to control the crowd during vulnerable moments on stage.
Towards the end of the set, the audience beckoned for more, and Lukens delivered with some more dirty vibes and only a few more piano-ballads. I think Walker has a sound in his head that could benefit from a larger on-stage production. He obviously thinks big with his arrangements and adding a little more volume would benefit the music’s effect. He knows how to reach a crowd, and how to please the audience, but sometimes an audience needs to be told what they want rather than asked. Lukens is at his best when he’s delivering this brand of commanding energy.
Check out photos from the night below. Photography by Carlos J. Matos, All Rights Reserved.
