Spookie Daly Pride (SDP) stormed Boston last Saturday night with their unique sound and onstage antics. The band played to a packed house of loyal fans and bar-goers at Harper’s Ferry in Allston.
They describe themselves as fun, silly and joyful. Their music combines funky guitar, heavy bass lines, and saloon style piano with the raspy, harmonic vocals of Spookie, lead singer/keyboardist of the band.
“Stylistically, we are all over the map,” Spookie said.
He cited the Beatles, Run DMC and Louie Prima as influences.
SDP takes a loose but adrenaline-filled approach to their live show.
“Our show is manic insanity in the context of playing songs,” he said.
The mysteriously named lead singer slammed a beer keg against his piano as he riled up the crowd, many of whom showed their familiarity with the band by singing along.
“We’re a touring band. We use our record to support the tour, kind of the opposite of other bands,” the lead singer said.
Free from a set list, SDP relies upon their onstage energy to dictate the show. An injured guitarist, Pete Witham, hopped one-legged to the beat. The guitarist took swigs of Corona between songs and stomped forcefully on his effects pedals despite a cast-ridden right foot. Drummer Tommy Diehl sported a fake afro and oversized sunglasses as he beat away crazily on the drums. And bassist Floyd Kellogg spewed beer onto his band mates as they transitioned between songs.
SDP has opened for the likes of Busta Rhymes, Kid Rock, Foo Fighters and Rusted Root.
“I love getting in front of a crowd who has no idea who we are and by the end of our set, everybody is fired up,” Spookie said.
The Saturday event was the band’s final show before hitting the studios to record their second album, a follow up to their debut “Marshmallow Pie,” released last April.
Their current album, recorded on the indie label Funzalo, lacks the visuals of their on-stage performance, but still manages to contain the energy and unique sound of the band.
“Half of our fans hear about us through the record, half have had friends bring them to one of our shows,” Spookie said. Marshmallow Pie opens with “Karma Thunderbolt,” a laid-back, organ driven track highlighting the signature raspy ramblings of vocalist Spookie. To the first time listener, the repetitive, Nintendo-esque intro may be a turnoff. However, a catchy chorus and trumpet solo midway through make this one of the album’s stronger tracks.
“Go Get It” feels like a track of a Sublime record. With numerous guitar effects and the collective voices of the band during the chorus, this jam combines the funk of a wah-wah pedal with the sing-a-long of a barber-shop quartet. The song has also been featured on the ABC show “Alias.”
“I’ve never seen anything our song was in,” said drummer Diehl, in reference to the licensing of their songs for movies and TV shows.
“Holy Rubbertramps,” the only ballad-style song on the album, shows the versatility of the band’s vocals and their ability to turn silly lyrics into a slow, seemingly heartfelt arrangement.
“It’s nice to have a mellow song to shift gears with during shows,”Spookie said. SDP has had a few songs grace the soundtracks of extreme sports TV programs. Featured in the MTV Sports and Music Festival according to their Web site, “Big Car” starts out with a beat reminiscent of Issac Hayes’ “Shaft.” It goes on to reflect the signature flair of the band, while still paying homage to funk with extremely low, bass vocals during the chorus.
The band exposes the lifestyle of its days on the road in songs like “Coffee and Pot,” and show their somewhat silly lyrics can be deceiving with songs like “Andrew Jones Ain’t No Biggity Man.”
The final track of the album, “Andrew Jones” is a song about a friend of the band who has been at death’s door for the past few years.
“Biggity is bohemian for bitchin’ or complaining,” said Spookie, who described the song as a universal track about anyone who doesn’t whine when faced with tough times.
Their sound is definitely unique, but the quality of musicianship is undeniable. Their next album, which they start rehearsals for next week, should be well worth the wait.