Brian K. and The Parkway with Karen Jonas & Cat Popper at Jammin Java, Vienna, VA
March 29, 2024
Adolescence is one of life’s dirtiest tricks. The moment a teenager figures out how to extract the maximum amount of fun possible from every day, adulthood comes crashing through the wall, piling on responsibilities, joys, sorrows, frustrations, ambitions, disease, death and so much more. Recognize the days of carefree adolescence, and – poof! – they are gone forever.
Imagine, if you will, prototypical adolescents Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, of SNL’s “Wayne’s World” fame, at that cruel moment when adolescence is snatched from their grasp – feel the wind come out of their sails when they realize they must now relinquish their instruments, give up their cable show, move out of their parents’ basements, grind out a day to day job, just like everyone else so privileged. Continue with themthrough a quarter-century or more of adult stresses and pressures. Then, imagine them both meeting up for the first time in years to enjoy a rushed late Sunday night cup of coffee(or other beverage) at the diner – so timed because that’s the only space they can find in their hectic lives between being aresponsible spouse, shuttling kids to their soccer games, visiting aging relatives, catching up on work email and steeling themselves for the impending 120 hours on the hamster wheel,set to commence in just eight short hours.
Let’s say that as they bid each other good night in the diner parking lot, the Universe, in a rare act of benevolence, calls to them both and says, “DUDES! For one night and one night only, I will give you back your adolescence. Your cares will melt away and you can be teenagers again.”
So, what happens when Wayne and Garth, hunched over from carrying years of pent-up youth writhing inside them with no escape valve, suddenly have the pressure taken off? The answer to that question manifested itself in a blinding explosion of unmitigated joy at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia on March 29, 2024, when Brian K. and The Parkway celebrated the release of its new album “Killing The Bear” by performing it live.
OLD MAN VOICE: With limited exception, these kids today don’t have what it takes to play rock ‘n’ roll without being poseurs. These whippersnappers don’t get that the ability to rock is not bestowed in direct proportion to body surface area covered by tattoos or volume of skin displaced by piercings. The privilege to wear those badges is earned. To play rock ‘n’ roll live is a gift granted to those who can channel the spirit thathovered over their own adolescence and provide it form with words and phrases, chords and rhythms, flanging and tremolo, chorus and delay.
Brian K. Pagels – rocker disguised as DC-metro suburbanite – who wields a pensive pen and a mean guitar – and Stephen Russ, whose divinity degree does not deter the ferocity of his drumming from temporarily disabling a snare stand – possess this gift. Together, Brian and Stephen form the core of Brian K. and The Parkway, which also features Mike Shade on guitar, Mat Williams on bass, Audrey White on keyboards, Erin Ryan (Brian’s wife) on violin and Ryan Walker, who joined the band on sax and vox for one encore. Brian K. and The Parkway’s engaging, energetic, hour-long set was comprised of the entire new album – front to back, of course, plus a three-song encore that included some deep cuts from the Petty and Springsteen catalogs.
“Straight Through,” the next single (I am fresh out of 45-RPM adapters for my turntable, by the way), to be released from the album has a catchy, wordless refrain, and was a highlight of Brian K.’s set. Veteran NYC-based bassist Cat Popper joined the band onstage to sing the parts of “Straight Through” she sang on “Killing The Bear.” The entire set of Brian K.’s carefully written songs were expertly played and the audience was certainly receptive. That said, the band seemed to be playing at the crowd – the kind of connection where energy flows freely back and forth between performer and audience wasn’t quite there. To be fair, the show was a live debut of new and unfamiliar material, and those kinds of connections are not established overnight.
Cat Popper, who kicked off the evening’s festivities, is alsoknown for her work with Jesse Malin, Ryan Adams, Joseph Arthur, and others. While she did not play a lot of songs, herrapport with the audience was natural, authentic and immediate. A standout moment of the entire night was her beautiful, heartfelt rendition of Jesse Malin’s “Brooklyn.”
Fredericksburg, Virginia’s own Karen Jonas and her band took the stage between Cat’s set and Brian’s and treated the Jammin’ Java crowd to a mix of her old and new “Americana” song stylings. Her repertoire featured several works about places she’s admittedly never been – to quote Willie Nile. The vivid imagery Karen paints with her lyrics and the fluidity of the band’s live delivery did not suffer one bit because Karen has not visited the settings of her songs.
After a solid three hours of great music and celebration, Wayne and Garth inevitably and I’m sure somewhat reluctantly left their adolescence in the care of The Universe for a second time. However, the afterglow of their brief reunion with adolescence will, without doubt, shimmer for a long time to come.
For more information about Brian K. and The Parkway, check out https://www.briankandtheparkway.com/ . For more information about Karen Jonas, check out https://www.karenjonasmusic.com/ . For more information about Cat Popper, check out https://www.catpopper.com/
Party on!
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Interview: Karen Jonas — “Summer Songs”
