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Max Weinberg has enjoyed a varied and extremely prolific career as a professional drummer, rising to fame as the drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, then acting as Conan O’Brien’s late night bandleader/sideman from 1993–2010. Weinberg has also drummed for famous tracks like “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” developed a one-man show, published The Big Beat, explored the world of real estate and home design, and continues to tour in a variety of rock and big-band setups.

Given the huge variety in Weinberg’s musical endeavors, it is no wonder that his “Max Weinberg Experience” is composed of fellow rockers from a wide variety of musical persuasions. Weinberg was joined by Bill Champlin, 28-year veteran of the supergroup Chicago as well as frontman for his own band Sons of Champlin, who made his career as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Hammond B3 expert. They were joined by Carmen Grillo, former guitarist for the legendary soul big band Tower of Power, and George Hawkins, Jr., who has played bass for Kenny Loggins, Fleetwood Mac, John Fogerty, and many more.

Now that we’ve assembled this impressive cast of characters onstage, let’s turn to the incredibly versatile program.

Champlin took on most of the lead singing for the night, with Grillo and Hawkins also having turns leading the band. Champlin sang Ray Charles’s “In the Heat of the Night” from behind the organ, singing with such bluesy fervor that you forgot he was, as he said, just a white kid from California; he handed off the solo lines to Grillo, whose soulful slowhand crooning elicited some well-deserved catcalls from the audience. Another crowd favorite was “Higher Ground,” with Grillo on sizzling lead vocals and Champlin covering Stevie Wonder’s classic groove on organ. Hawkins sang lead on a cover of Al Green’s “Love and Happiness,” and his colorful, powerful voice and agile bass soloing made me wish he had done more of both throughout the night. 

Champlin and Grillo also performed some of the songs from each of their own recent solo projects. Grillo’s “Doctor in the House” was funky and upbeat, and my favorite of Champlin’s was definitely “Lover Like That,” which featured Champlin on a twangy acoustic guitar part that interwove with Grillo’s electric sound.

In addition to covering classics and performing their own new material, the band also played some of the songs that defined their careers in the groups that made them famous. Chicago’s “Look Away” started more softly than the original track, building from Champlin’s tender, introverted vocals and soft bass and guitar accompaniment until they were joined by Weinberg, shaping this simple song’s powerful climax. Hearing this classic song recreated by its original singer gave me that tingly feeling that you get when you realize you’re in the room with something completely great, and for a rock-and-roll enthusiast like myself, it really was a magical moment. Weinberg made us wait until the very end of the show to hear a few songs by his old friend from New Jersey, but the band did The Boss proud, giving this Jersey girl a few pangs of homesickness with their renditions of “Fever” and “Ramrod,” which featured Champlin channeling the unmistakable sound of Springsteen’s voice.

My only issue with the execution of the show was one of balance—Hawkins’ unobtrusive style of bass playing always fit perfectly in the context of the music, but some clarity of sound was lost, probably due to the size of the hall they were playing in. A little more treble in the sound throughout would probably have fixed the issue and brought his excellent playing to the forefront with the rest of the band. The band as a whole showed their collective years of experience by playing extremely sensitively with individual balance, especially Weinberg, who wove his parts in expertly in every style, and provided a steady, enthusiastic foundation for the rest of the band. 

The thing I admired most about The Max Weinberg Experience was the ability of the band members to combine their individual styles to both faithfully play in a variety of musical styles and to infuse those songs with their own unique interpretations. The impression that resulted was of a group of friends who just got together one night to jam on some of their favorite tunes, simply because it was their favorite thing to do.

REVIEW:
Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College
The Max Weinberg Experience
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center, JCCC Campus
12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS
For more information, visit http://www.jccc.edu/performing-arts-series/index.html

Top Photo: Max Weinberg 

By Karen Hauge

Classical Contributor, Senior Editor

A native of New Jersey, Karen Hauge relocated to Kansas City in 2010 to attend UMKC in pursuit of her M.M. in flute performance. Since moving to Kansas City, Karen has been active as a performer within the Conservatory and as a music educator in the community, working with the Conservatory’s Community Academy of Music and Dance.

Karen earned a B.M. from the University of Delaware, where she studied music education with Suzanne Burton and Robert Streckfuss. During her time at Delaware, Karen was awarded several grants to fund an independent research project over the course of two years. The project and subsequent thesis, entitled “What Does It Mean To Be Musical?,” explored the ways in which people naturally interact with music in their everyday lives, and earned her a degree with distinction upon graduation. Karen has been active as a solo and chamber performer in Delaware, New York, and New Jersey. She has performed for world-renowned flute pedagogues such as Jeanne Baxtresser and Jeffrey Khaner, and has received honors for outstanding performance through her career at both the university and professional level. Her primary flute teachers have been Mardee Reed-Ulmer, Eileen Grycky, and Mary Posses.