A Review: The Breakfast

Going into the evening, I was expecting good things. It's always a plesure to see the Breakfast; as I have always considered them one of the hidden gems of the jamband scene. The snow fell on Syracuse making for an interesting ride to and from the venue. But there is something about seeing a show on a snowy night that I love. The show was heald at the emerging venue; "The Westcott", which has played host to some of the best bands on the scene. Walking into the venue I could see that the crowd would be small, which is typical for a Breakfast show in this region. After verification from the guestlist; I noticed Tim Palmieri spacing out in the lobby. I approached and thanked him for his hospitality. After a short discussion I walked into the main theatre, only to be throughly annoyed by the opening band. Their horrible riffs and constant repition made me crave The Breakfast.

At around 11:30pm The Breakfast took the stage. From the start you could tell that it was going to be a heavily desired "SUPER-CRUNCH MELTDOWN." They played one long set that was full of expansive jams, that started and stopped with practiced precision. They went from; jammy to jazzy, to spacey to rock with a pleasing amount of musical intuition. The crowd, as small as it was, was really into it; dancing and wooking out with musical joy. To my delight, I was surprised to see projections on the curtained wall of the Westcott. The designs went from 1980's looking to brilliant color paterns. It added a cool vibe and sensory treat to the evening.

On a side note: I truly find hoola-hoopers to be annoying. I mean, it's fine if you're in an open field at a festival off to the side... But indoors? Nay. The only saving grace was that is had LED lights on it. *Sigh*

The guitar work was heavy, and smooth; with a technical ability that exceeds most of the first and second tier bands on the scene. The keys/synth had everyone going wild; a perfect mix of space and funk. The bass was heavy and had the crowd moving. You could feel it rattling around your rib cage, with perfect timing. The drums were prominent and consistent; showing more ability than most of the drummers on the scene.

All in all, The Breakfast are one of the best kept secrets on the jam scene. They have the consistency/dancability of Lotus, the versatility of Umphrey's McGee, the transitions of moe. and setlist arrangements similar to that of the Dead or Phish. Above all else, they may be more my speed than any of the bands previously mentioned. I thought the show was about as perfect as a jamband show gets.

Rating: 9.5/10