{"id":48253,"date":"2015-02-14T17:27:28","date_gmt":"2015-02-14T22:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=48253"},"modified":"2015-02-18T14:50:00","modified_gmt":"2015-02-18T19:50:00","slug":"devi-concert-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2015\/devi-concert-review\/","title":{"rendered":"LIVE! | Devi"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alissa Ordabai<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Feb. 12, 2015, at Arlene\u2019s Grocery, New York City, NY. —<\/h3>\n

\"Devi<\/p>\n

Rock band Devi carries through its sixth year in the NYC music scene with remarkable conviction. Its superb debut album Get Free<\/em> came out in 2008 and instantly drew attention of Classic Rock fans, as well as leading music media. Metal Hammer magazine praised band leader Debra Devi as \u201ca mix of Sheryl Crow and PJ Harvey\u201d and mentioned how her guitar playing brought Hendrix to mind. <\/p>\n

Personal circumstances lead to an unplanned hiatus, but the band is now back in the saddle and expects to release a new record in a few months. <\/p>\n

Tonight\u2019s show at Arlene\u2019s Grocery was an intimate affair, which is always a bonus when you come to see a guitar-intensive band. After all, it\u2019s not every day that you get to watch a great player up close and personal. And Devi \u2014 apart from being a charming singer \u2014 also brandishes some top-notch guitar chops. Metal Hammer\u2019s description of Devi\u2019s style didn\u2019t exaggerate \u2014 it emphasized how skillfully she deploys the heritage to create her own identity. <\/p>\n

\"DebraThe band references the \u201860s, early \u201870s with an understated retro vibe, but instead of sounding dated, its sound comes across as timeless. Keyboardist Peter Vitalone stepped in this time instead of the regular Devi keyboardist Rob Clores, and he effortlessly floated Devi\u2019s sharp-edged guitar parts, bathing the songs in a softly diffused glow. <\/p>\n

Laconic in her treatment of intimate subjects, Devi knows that simplicity works best when tackling heartbreak. \u201cTen Miles to Clarksdale\u201d became one of those downcast gems this evening \u2014 a story of connecting with a kindred spirit, hopes dashed and the tension of silent longing.<\/p>\n

But poignant balladry is just one layer of this band\u2019s character. When Devi goes on an all-out guitar rampage, her flawless improv continues to be fluid and unpredictable. She also knows how to lift a song beyond its structure into the territory of pure invention \u2014 inspired and expansive. <\/p>\n

This is how tonight\u2019s standout \u201cDemon in the Sack\u201d \u2014 an instantly memorable raucous ear-worm \u2014 connected raunchy, far-flung soloing with hooky songwriting. Add to this the fact that Devi looked the part of a bonafide rock goddess \u2014 svelte and graceful in her tight-fitting dress \u2014 and you have a perfect act capable of transcending generation lines. <\/p>\n

The rest of the band looks the part, too \u2014 drummer John Hummel not only supports the proceedings with resolute self-assurance, but he also looks every bit a rock star. And bassist Max Feinstein fulfills the double duty of backing Devi\u2019s voice and playing lines that keep the songs jumping, not to mention his affable stage presence. <\/p>\n

The final highlight of the set, \u201cWhen It Comes Down,\u201d turned into a perfect closer. A vividly dramatic solo stretched the soundscape of the song to the verge of psychedelia, with Devi raising her chops game to the max. The band\u2019s organic feel for Classic Rock, its erudite elegance and knowing how to turn straightforward ideas into mini-miracles, makes Devi a brilliant live act and a real asset to the East Coast Rock scene. <\/p>\n

Tonight’s line-up:
\nDebra Devi — vocals, guitar
\nPeter Vitalone — keys
\nMax Feinstein — bass, backing vocals
\nJohn Hummel — drums
\nJohn Roccesano — percussion, backing vocals<\/p>\n

Set list:
\n1.\tButterfuly
\n2.\tC21H23NO3
\n3.\tGet Free
\n4.\tAll That I Need
\n5.\tShake It
\n6.\t10 Miles to Clarksdale
\n7.\tLove That Lasts
\n8.\tTired of Waiting
\n9.\tDemon in the Sack
\n10.\tWhen It Comes Down<\/p>\n

Online: http:\/\/www.devi-rock.com<\/a>; https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/devirock<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Alissa Ordabai – Senior Columnist — Feb. 12, 2015, at Arlene\u2019s Grocery, New York City, NY. — Rock band Devi carries through its sixth year in the NYC music scene with remarkable conviction. Its […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":48255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12395],"tags":[307,8331,10710,10776,164],"class_list":{"0":"post-48253","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcconrvw2015","8":"tag-concert-review","9":"tag-debra-devi","10":"tag-devi","11":"tag-get-free","12":"tag-live"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}