The Felice Brothers

Midway through this exuberant, at times rambunctious and ultimately rather excellent show at Academy Three in Manchester, James Felice announced his affinity with the UK, regarding it as the band's second home. It's wise to take these proclamations of adoration from a band with a pinch of salt, but in this case, it would not be difficult to argue with the statement from the youngest of the two remaining Felice brothers in the band. After all, this was the New York outfits second visit to Manchester in less than three months, previously playing at Gorilla in June and the band seemed totally at ease in their surroundings, performing to an audience only too glad to experience their raucous show once again.
Preceding this triumphant return tonight was Oklahoma four piece Horse Thief. The band subtly complimented the style and sound to come from The Felice Brothers, turning in a characterful set of atmospheric and psychedelic Americana, but the band also managed to prove themselves no one trick pony, as themes and emotions explored within the tracks performed tonight, along with the charismatic delivery of frontman Cameron Neal also provided nostalgic reminders of bands forever ingrained within Manchester's psyche such as The Smiths no less. It will be interesting to see if Horse Thief can develop this sound into something uniquely theirs but they could be one to watch. Bands often despise being categorized and compartmentalized, and the beauty of The Felice Brothers is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to do this, even if one was so inclined. Early releases such as 'Tonight at the Arizona' and the eponymous album 'The Felice Brothers' generated comparisons to Dylan along with the more familiar 'americana' tag. The 2009 release 'Yonder is the Clock' prompted some to include Tom Waits on the venerable list of comparable artists. However, tonights show confirmed that the band are more interested in being themselves and appear to love spending time in the company of fans who appreciate how their sound has evolved over the last eight years in particular.
This results in a ninety minute set structured around several tracks from latest release 'Favourite Waitress', but no Felice Brothers gig is the same and the boys swap vocal responsibilities regularly as various songs from the previously mentioned albums as well as 'God Bless You Amigo' and the more experimental 'Celebration, Florida' are dipped into. As the band head towards their ten year anniversary and five years on from my last encounter with the boys from the Catskill mountains, it was a particular joy to experience their unorthodox rhythms and playful approach to their melodies, which has developed as a result of their somewhat ramshackle origins on the subways of New York.
What enhances the experience further during these personnel changes in front of the mic, are the different personalities Ian, James, Josh and Greg bring to their contributions. Ian Felice certainly brings a laid back cool to proceedings in songs such as 'Meadow of a Dream' and 'The Big Surprise' but his approach does not entirely disguise the joy he appears to experience when he performs, particularly with his brother James. This was noticeably evident during the track 'Love Me Tenderly'. Throughout the show, James regularly engages in amusing banter with the audience, ensuring that the crowd are involved in proceedings throughout, having a say in the ebb and flow of the show and on the track 'Whiskey in My Whiskey' the crowd contribution raises the decibel level significantly making the track almost unrecognisable from the almost solemn incarnation that exists on the album 'The Felice Brothers'.
The band certainly have a wealth of quality songs that can be called upon on any given night and this can often result in personal favourites unfortunately failing to make the setlist. The more contemplative gems from 'Yonder is the Clock' such as 'The Boy from Lawrence County', seeming plucked straight from the soundtrack of a Sam Peckinpah film or the marvelously evocative baseball epic 'Cooperstown' sadly did not make it tonight. Maybe next time when they visit these shores that they hold in such high regard I'll get lucky. It probably won't be that long a wait!

The Felice Brothers are absolutely amazing. Its hard to compartmentalize their sound into one genre, so I won't. If you're a fan of the American sound- you have to see them. The first time we went to see them was in 2009 or so and the performance just blew our minds. I had never seen such an energy and captivating stage presence (as a group as well as each band member individually) and they really reminded us of THE BAND, which, as you should know, is saying a lot.

Their music takes on American imagery. They sing of American landscapes, American people, American ideologies and have been known to play American traditionals. Their musical style evokes a sense of "folk" however their stage presence is something much more energetic. A favorite to watch on whichever instrument is James Felice. The soul he pours into that accordion is an intimacy I've rarely witnessed from any other live musician. Even sitting behind the keyboards you can tell that the instruments are a part of him.

They all play that way, as if they were born to write these songs and perform them for the world. They are natural performers, gifted musicians with an incredible ability to write such perfect songs and perform them playfully. You really get a sense that their relationship with their audience and their music is inclusive, as if these were your older brothers.

Hands down, favorite band - do not miss them, they never disappoint.

The Felice Brothers have been my favourite band since I first saw them at the 100 Club in 2008. The music is great - but try categorising them! With fiddle and accordian you'll get some country and cajun but then the driving rock bass and drum at times makes them seem a world away from that description, plus some call aspects of their work 'techno' but an old hippy doesn't understand that, though I like those songs! The gig at the forum on 3/9/14 was brilliant. The setlist was clearly flexible but I heard most of what I'd hope to hear apart from the brlliant 'Glory Glory' and 'Lincoln Continental'. Top memories were Ian Felice soloing on 'Lou the Welterwieght' (the memory of which has sent a shiver up my spine) and the brilliant rendition of 'Lion' from the new album. Not that any were duds, and three new songs were well received. I hope this night and the reception the band received are a sign that the days of slogging round playing to small but appreicative audiences are gone. This is a band which deserves success and a larger fanbase. Catch them next year, you won't be sorry!

At the end of a long tour, they showed no signs of fatigue or weariness. The pace was dynamic and the crowd loved it. The set was long with virtually no breaks between numbers, and despite almost no dialogue with the crowd, they maintained a warm, friendly and convivial atmosphere. It was like visiting some good old friends. The Felice Brothers seem to go from strength to strength, and the show at The Rainbow demonstrated this. An excellent evening of powerful music that was well played.

First time seeing the Felice Brothers, and they were incredible. They seemed to all be enjoying themselves and having fun. They played a few brand new songs, and now I can't wait for the album. Don't miss the chance to see them live!

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