Jakie Green and the Modern Lives Band @ World Cafe Live

Jackie Greene & The Modern Lives Band

World Cafe Live

Philadelphia, PA

10/4/2018

Wow, what a great show. I had shot Jackie Greene previously a few times with Trigger Hippy and I fully realize what an incredible musician and songwriter he is. Oh yeah, he can sing those songs as well. Samantha Fish was opening and I was also familiar with her talent from shooting previous shows. Knowing full well that there was no way this wasn’t going to be a great night of music I was really looking forward to the show. 

Samantha Fish brings everything she has to the stage and boy does she have a lot to bring.

The lady can sing and play the blues with the best of them. An absolutely powerful performer who even has the required cigar box guitar. Fish absolutely got the night off to a great start.

Jackie Greene brought with him not only the fantastic Modern Lives Band but also a background of video including the visual designs of the “king of indie animation” Bill Plympton.

The band was smoking hot consisting of Shannon Sanders as music director and keyboardist, Nathan Dale on guitar, Megan Coleman on percussion, Jon “Smoke” Lucas on drums and Ben Rubin on bass and a horn section. They filled the stage with instruments and the hall with beautiful sound.

Jackie Greene played most of the night on guitar but also sat down at one of the keyboards on stage for a couple of songs. If I recall “Animal” and “Doin It To Death” had Greene on keybpoards. Greene started the show with “Tupelo”, “The Captain’s Daughter”, and “Modern Lives” from Modern Lives Vol 1 with “I’m So Gone” from American Myth. The set list drew from all his work including the single “Crazy Comes Easy” which I love. Closing out the show the band did a fantastic cover of the Dead’s “Sugaree” which had a lot of the audience swaying. From his solo album Back To Birth came the encore “Halleluja”. Yes, I am going to repeat myself. Wow, what a great show.

Mark J. Smith

www.photosmithdigital.com