Good Old War, Footloose and Fancy-free at Bowery Ballroom [photos]

Photo Credit: Katie Karalis

There was a whole lot of dancing going on at Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday night, and while the moves happening onstage weren’t necessarily skillful, they were uninhibited, inspired and infectious.

The dancing began in the second set when Barbara Gruska, the sprightly, smiling lead singer of brother/sister band The Belle Brigade (@thebellebrigade), relinquished her guitar and moved to the drums. She promised some serious dancing from the now misplaced drummer, who, tambourine in hand, did not disappoint. These three guys and a gal play music with irresistible, honky-tonk bass lines, rock and roll guitar, crooning harmonies and astute lyrics. Plunging into “Where Not To Look For Freedom”, the drummer’s erratic dance moves almost outshone the song’s rollicking rhythms and fiery melody. Fueled by fervent cheers from the audience, drummer Tim Arnold from the headlining band Good Old War (@goodoldwar) soon joined in the revelry.

The eccentric dancing continued throughout Good Old War’s set. Lead singer and keyboardist Keith Goodwin’s restless energy slipped almost subconsciously into his version of a funky chicken dance at every opportunity, while across the stage, Dan Schwartz bounced around wildly, his body unable to resist the grooving melodies his guitar was laying down. Even Arnold, inherently more stationary, stood up from his drumset to sing on three songs. In the closing song “Loud Love”, on which all three sang a solo verse, he crossed the stage to rest his head playfully on Goodwin’s shoulder.

Schwartz’s stillness came only when he played the electric guitar suspended in front of his microphone stand. This required reaching around one of the three rotating acoustic guitars strapped over his chest, one of which was a twelve-string that added the richness of a banjo or mandolin to the country-tinged songs. The conceit, though practical, looked amusing — like a person wearing two sets of eyeglasses.

The set showcased the Philadelphia band’s body of work, spanning three albums. Their songs follow a classic structure with spirited pop rock tempos, catchy melodies and sweet vocal harmonies. Their lyrics are straightforward enough to be picked up and remembered effortlessly, and this audience was singing along from the very first word. “You guys sound good,” Goodwin remarked to the adoring crowd.

New songs like “Calling Me Names” and “Amazing Eyes” were as relished as the older “That’s What’s Wrong” and “We’ve Come A Long Way”, but the audience was bound and determined to hear “Coney Island” off the band’s first album (“What you think this is, request hour?” Schwartz called back at one point). The crowd’s request came as the final song of the encore, the best apparently saved for last.

These three guys are genuine and endearing, as are the folks in The Belle Brigade and Family of the Year (@familyoftheyear) who played before them, and seem at home in their own skin as well as together onstage. They aren’t putting on any airs; what you see is what you get, and what you get will win you over in no time.