Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach and Rexrode Productions Valentine’s Show Presents:
Casey Hensley with Six String Society, Daring Greatly’s Croome Brothers, JB and The Movers.
Croome Brothers
The show began with a rockin’ start with the Croome Brothers, Liam and Patrick of Daring Greatly. Daring Greatly, a family band out of Canada is a San Diego favorite. This was a first for the brothers, as they stripped down to just the two of them, their vocals, keyboard, and guitar. They opened up with John Mayer’s Georgia. I was really taken in by Liam’s tone and how much he really sounded like John Mayer. The brothers have their own style but blend together beautifully. I found the Croome Brothers to have a laid back cool but dynamic vibe. It was a great way to open the evening performances. Their set combined originals as well as covers. They rocked out with King’s of Leon’s Walls and also sang a very inspiring version of Crosby Stills and Nash’s Guinevere which mesmerized the crowd–a perfect selection for Valentine’s. They closed out their set with a chant “to raise the vibration of joy” which is what “Hey Hoorah” means in this original number–everyone joined in bringing the whole room together smiling. Here’s the link to their website.
I later spoke with Liam and was very impressed with his mission to support musicians in creating original music over the cookie cutter over produced mentality to sell records. I found him to be way beyond his 22 years and I look forward to watching his musicality explode even more in the future.
Next up on the Valentine’s stage was hometown guys JB and the Movers. They are a full-on funk/soul jam band and very entertaining. Everyone was making a bee-line to the dance floor as soon as they came on. The band members are Jody Bagley (Vocals / Keys), Tommy Mitchell (Guitar / Vocals), Aaron Bagley (Bass / Vocals), Phil Pardell (Drums). Check them out on FaceBook for the latest news and performances. They also have some cool footage on YouTube. JB’s voice and presence filled the room and you could definitely feel the love. At one point he performed a song, “She’s not the one for you”. It was quite funny and my friend sitting next to me couldn’t stop laughing. There was a lot of truth to that song! They played more original tunes– one called “Burn”. This band is really in a class all of their own, each being incredibly talented. I was reminded of back in the day when there was a Motown sound that blended into a feeling that “everything is going to be alright”. The band members fuse so well together, like a hand in glove. They played Stevie Wonder’s, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) as the dance floor filled to capacity. They closed the set with an Otis Redding’s romantic favorite, Try a Little Tenderness. JB and the Movers are in the recording studio, so be on the lookout for a new record coming out in the not-to-distant future!
Casey Hensley came out as a stunningly powerful force to be reckoned with (that’s for damn sure). She struck me as an empowered goddess woman–talented, beautiful, confident, sexy, and powerful! She turned the heat up as she poured it on. It’s easy to see why Casey just won Best Blues Artist for the 2019 San Diego Music Awards. No doubt in my mind she is the best!
At a point fairly early into the performance, Casey’s boyfriend and drummer, Evan Caleb Yearsley, appeared on the stage, walked up to her, gets down on one knee and proposes marriage! You could tell she was extremely surprised. It seemed as if she “left her body” as she was trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. With tears flowing down her face, she said “YES”. A consummate professional, she pulled herself together and busts out with Aretha’s Dr. Feelgood and took the show to a whole new level. She was caught so off guard that she later wrote on her Facebook page what she wanted to say but was too stunned to articulate.
Her voice is crazy good and range incredible, as well as killer stage presence. She gave a shout out to Evan’s late mother and her beloved friend, Candye Kane, her inspiration and mentor. Candye Kane was an all-time favorite at The Belly Up and it was nice to take a moment to remember her. Candye Kane’s Hex on You was Casey’s next song and a beautiful tribute.
Another show surprise was her unbelievable 18-year-old guitarist, known as Anthony “Fallbrook Kid” Cullins. Holy smokes! He blew the roof off the place with his extraordinary guitar playing. He packed just as much punch as Casey and matched her with his powerful musical presence. His talent is off the charts and he already has a long list of “musician greats” under his belt with whom he has collaborated with. He is being compared to a young Joe Bonamassa and Johnny Lang. Another unexpected surprise of the night!
At the end of the evening, everyone from all the bands came back on stage to sing Elvin Bishop’s, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”. Producer, Ken Rexrode, later told me that it was one of his favorite parts of the show. It was a great way to wrap up another entertaining evening at The Belly Up Tavern. This is a sure bet for next year’s Valentine’s date night. Hats off to Rexrode Productions for another show with stellar performances. For more information on The Six String Society please visit their website.