Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Duke and the King get notice from Live Power Rankings (DC)

3. The Duke & The King, Iota, Sunday

Bad timing for the band on this one. The Duke & the King features Simone Felice, former drummer of the Felice Brothers, getting out from behind the kit and taking center stage for a hushed folk thing. It just so happened that his old band was playing as part of the Route 29 Revue the same night, along with the likes of Levon Helm, Old Crow Medicine Show and Iron & Wine up at Merriweather Post Pavilion. So this was another show with a small crowd, but once again the band was in a great mood, maybe because it was the final night of the tour. The sleepy sound of the album was greatly enhanced by an additional drummer and violinist, and when everyone sang in unison it was more folk-gospel-soul than the '70s AM folk on the album. Felice also has plenty of frontman charisma and is a solid storyteller. A band to keep an eye on.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postrock/2009/08/live_last_night_power_rankings.html