Felice Brothers at StageOne in Fairfield, CT, July 17, 2024
The Felice Brothers are a folk rock/country rock band from upstate New York founded in 2006. The band got their start by playing subway stations throughout New York City. They self released their debut album in 2006 and by 2008 they were being invited to play Bonnaroo, Mountain Jam, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Outside Lands among others. The quartet’s members are Ian Felice (lead vocals, guitar), William Lawrence (drums, vocals), James Felice (accordion, piano, organ), and Jesske Hume (bass).
The Felice Brothers played at Fairfield, Connecticut’s StageOne. Stageone is a 225 seat art and culture venue that offers an intimate space for live music and other performances. It is one part of the larger Fairfield Theatre Group, a nonprofit center for the arts. The venue, staff, and security are top notch and I always make it a point to attend their concerts when I return to Connecticut.
I first saw the Felice Brothers back in 2013 at the Newport Folk Festival. At the time Greg Farley was playing fiddle and the band’s raw sound and raucous performance left Ian with a t-shirt hanging by a thread due to a tear down the side. As the time has passed this band has matured. Since then the band has released nine albums including this year’s release Valley of Abandoned Songs. On this night the band was even dressed in suits but sans ties due to the fact James Felice admitted he still needs his Dad to help him knot his tie. One thing that hasn’t changed is the audience’s enthusiasm for the band. The sold out crowd was clearly amped for this performance.
The Felice Brothers have no shortage of material to draw upon and treated the crowd to selections from their entire catalog. Ian’s distinctive voice and unique singing style was evident from the start. The natural intimacy between the brothers onstage allows them to share the spotlight. Ian’s shy and withdrawn personality only emphasizes James’s outgoing persona. During the middle of the set the band asked the audience for requests. James sheepishly joked that they no longer even knew any of the requested songs and had no idea where to even start them. Finally someone shouted “Frankie’s Gun” which the band dutifully played to the delight of the audience. Other highlights of the set included “Crime Scene Queen,” “Valium,” “Flowers By The Roadside,” “Jazz on the Autobahn,” and the raucous “Cherry Licorice” with its blaring guitar solo. James switched between accordion and keys the entire night and ended the set solo, on the keyboard singing the apocalyptic “What Will You Do Now.” After a brief pause the band came back for a boisterous sing-along “Whiskey On My Whiskey,” the tale of a deadly drunken revenge fueled by, you guessed it , whiskey. It was the perfect end to the evening.
The Felice Brothers will be playing nonstop in the US through August. During October/November the band will be traveling throughout Europe with shows in the UK, Ireland, and Germany.
https://www.thefelicebrothers.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: The Felice Brothers “From Dreams to Dust”