THE DEDICATIONS / THE DOCTOR PLAY LIVE AT THE MIDWAY CAFE

THE DEDICATIONS / THE DOCTOR PLAY LIVE AT THE MIDWAY CAFE

By Rick Fleck

The dedications and Doctor sick play at the Midway Cafe in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood on a beautiful fall afternoon.

I am always excited to attend a concert at the famous Midway Cafe in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. With a 3:30 start on a gorgeous New England fall day, it wasn't going to be crowded. It was a great crowd, enthusiastic and attentive (no one on their phones.) It was a group of live music lovers willing to eschew the gem of a day just outside the club door, to immerse themselves in some good honest rock and roll.

He was first on stage SICK DOCTOR. In the studio SICK DOCTOR is the one-man band of singer/multi-instrumentalist/producer/engineer Shogo Otsuki. On stage, Shogo plays guitar and handles vocals and is joined by bassist Jude Payne and drummer Wiley Dekker. SICK DOCTOR it draws inspiration from literally everywhere, but the psychedelic rock of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the Delta blues of the 1920s and 1930s, feature prominently.

Shogo and the band kicked things off with their original song “Pretty Woman.” Many in the crowd appeared surprised to hear Woodstock-era, Carlos Santana-style guitar fill the room. It was a remarkable attention grabbing way to start a show. The next song, “The Allston City Shuffle,” named after another Boston neighborhood, continued to focus on Shogo's incredible guitar playing, with a long solo that brought to mind bands from the late 60s era , such as Cream and Led Zeppelin.

Led Zeppelin's influence speaks volumes in their early work, such as SICK DOCTOR's, was influenced by the original Black American blues artists. SICK DOCTOR released an incendiary cover of blues legend Son House's song “Preachin' Blues” which House recorded during a nine-song recording session in 1930. It's gratifying to see new artists rediscovering the roots of rock 'n' roll and how they incorporate the blues in the 21st Century Project. With “I Can Pretend,” the band found a groove reminiscent of the Doobie Brothers' classic “China Grove.”

Rick Fleck photos

DOCTOR ILL are not a classic rock band despite the fact that they are often referred to in the genre. They play like a jazz trio or a Grateful Dead jam band in the sense that all players are free to improvise on stage. Any song can take unexpected directions. There were some very funky bass lines delivered by Payne. Dekker was a show in his own right, waving his arms and hitting leathers like Keith Moon. Dekker often left his drum set, walking to the edge of the stage and comically interacting with the audience. SICK DOCTOR they finished their set with another original entitled 'All I Want is Your Love', a fitting finale with its energy and virtuosity.

The dedications are a group of rock veterans who got together to jam and found they had something special. The dedications are singer/guitarist Steve Audy, guitarist Michael Avakian, keyboardist Darrell Lambert, bassist Erik von Geldern, and drummer Don Schweihofer. The first song of the night was “Slow”, a melodic hard rocker with a Journey-esque guitar solo from Avakian. “Slow” made it abundantly clear that Audy was a rock 'n' roll showman as he took center stage under the spotlight and took control of the show from the first note.

Rick Fleck photos

“Speak”, the first cut from their new album Neon black fluorescent whiteretains the melodic approach but has more of an indie rock feel than Dinosaur, Jr. Again, Audy took center stage and captivated the audience. Showcasing their versatility, their 2023 single “Not Much Time” tipped its hat to the grunge movement of the early '90s. “Empty House” gave off a rock/country feel and Lambert's keytar was prominent. The keytar was a fun novelty, but ultimately distracting. The signature sound of the keytars has not always been exciting with the rest of the band and while the keyboards are, and should be, an integral part of The dedicationsSound, sometimes deploying a traditional stand-up keyboard would be a welcome change.

“Shades” was a dynamic and powerful Rage Against the Machine/Nu Metal beast. 'Someone Again', a modern take on the iconic '80s power ballad, proved The dedications he can play any style with flair, flair and, above all, originality. The last song of the night was “Practiced Lines”, leaving the crowd cheering and applauding the band exuberantly.

It's obvious to see The dedications that they are made up of a bunch of hard working, rock and roll powerhouses. It's just remarkable that this is only their second live performance. They play top notch, the chemistry on stage is strong and I'm sure they'll only get tighter with time. The dedications is the essence of what it means to be, as Grand Funk Railroad sang in 1973, “an American band

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