Walking into Cuatro Gato on Monday, March 10 for my first Lew Apollo show felt like walking straight into another era of history. The five-piece ensemble consisted of lead vocal-guitarist Lew himself, with his old school jazz flair, Jasmine LaVonne leading backup vocals with a look straight out of the 60s, Kevin Parmley hidden behind his powerful drums, longhaired bassist Scott McIntyre and Rube Harrison’s ivories glistening above the sultriness emanating from the group. Their look represented a beautiful visual representation of the sounds that inspire them, right in the middle of the crowded, cat-themed bar.
Photo taken by Ivana Darancou | @ivs.craft
The influence of artists like Hozier and Leon Bridges on Lew is undeniable, not only in the lyricism of his records and the soulfulness of his voice, but especially in the band’s presentation.
Lew’s pearly-white and stunningly beautiful Stratocaster reflected the purple lights from the stage in such a way it seemed like the guitar had floated down from heaven itself, still glowing from God’s personal touch.
Photo taken by Ivana Darancou | @ivs.craft
The jazz influence remains equally important, consistently found in LaVonne’s delivery of her higher octave reflections of Lew’s main lines. Add in McIntyre’s funk-filled basslines, which carry a good chunk of the setlist, and we get a blend of jazz pop intriguing to the jazz fan while opening up a world of possibility to the pop fans.
Used as a brilliant juxtaposition during their closing song “Trouble on my Mind,” Lew shifts between a jazzy falsetto, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat as they anticipate the release of the tension, down to a more raspy rockstar voice effortlessly. As the beat drops on the song, the audience becomes overwhelmed with a need to groove, and we all start moving to the music.
Photo taken by Ivana Darancou | @ivs.craft