It was a hot and sweaty show as The Temperance Movement made a welcome return Stateside, on the eve of their White Bear release.
14-July-2016: The Stone Foxes burst out onto the stage with a high-energy performance that certainly got them noticed and the Bottom Lounge dancing and tapping their feet. The boys from San Francisco kicked off the night and certainly made an impression with their first class performance, in much the same way as headliners, The Temperance Movement, did last year when they came to town opening for Blackberry Smoke.
The Stone Foxes turned out to be a good match to the headliner, both groups of talented musicians mixed with the pure enthusiasm just bursting to entertain, and entertain they certainly did. Their performance earned a reception you would usually expect for the main act.
After a quick stage turnaround, it was time for the UK boys to make their return to the Chicago stage. The audience was beyond ready and warmed up.
The Temperance Movement put a lot of leg work in to getting out and introducing themselves to the US market last year, and this time, it was their turn to be the main attraction. It is well-documented how many bands fail to break the American market, but these guys are well on their way.
Their new album, White Bear, was released in the UK this past January and has been long awaited in the US. It was unfortunate that the US release date fell the day after the Chicago show, not that you could tell.
So eagerly anticipated was their upcoming sophomore album, that a large number of fans were able to sing along to the new material having purchased imports or had friends send copies from the UK.
If you haven’t yet seen The Temperance Movement live, you should, if for no other reason than to witness the fire-cracker performance of frontman, Phil Campbell. Even on their slower songs, he can still be seen jumping and dancing around the stage, waving his arms in the air.
Their recent personnel change has worked well as evident in how Paul Sayer and Matt White bounce off each other and are perfectly in sync.
While The Temperance Movement are known for having an energy-ball of a frontman, it would be unfair to reduce them to a one-man band. Paul pulls out some of the funkiest guitar riffs that you will hear. Add to that the perfectly timed rhythm section of Nick Fyffe on bass and Damon Wilson on drums, and you get the hard-hitting, punchy songs that have got this five-piece noticed. Their chemistry on stage is infectious; the guys are clearly having a great time.
The new material was warmly received, especially so since the album hadn’t yet been released. It was, however, the old faithfuls that nearly brought the Bottom Lounge down. “Ain’t No Telling”, “Only Friend” and “Take It Back” had the crowd singing every word so loud it was surprising that you could hear Campbell singing at all.
This current North American tour is just a brief one before they return in September. Be sure to catch them if they come to your town, you will not regret it. Just be sure to take your energy with you.
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The Temperance Movement
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