On a fairly hot night, the Extended Play Sessions at the Fallout Shelter presented The Black Lillies, a wonderful Americana/blues/soul/rock band hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Cruz Contreras

While their music may take several words to define, it can be summed up in one word – terrific!

I was excited to see this show; I saw the band perform once prior to this night so I was somewhat familiar with their music. I generally enjoy a band more after the first time I see them because I feel as if I ‘know’ them at that point.

The Black Lillies

They are currently touring in advance of the October release of their new album, Hard to Please, and the set list drew from that album for which they launched a successful PledgeMusic© campaign. Even though I feel that live music is generally better than recorded music, I cannot wait until this album is in my mailbox so I can listen to the fantastic songs over and over again until I know them.

Cruz Contreras, Sam Quinn

Cruz Contreras on guitar, keyboard, and lead vocals; Trisha Gene Brady on guitar and vocals; Bowman Townsend on drums; Jonathan Keeney on pedal steel; Sam Quinn on bass; and Mike Seal on guitar comprise the band. Over the past year, the personnel may have changed, and they may still be getting used to one another, but their music is at least as good as ever.

Cruz Contreras

Trisha Gene Brady

Bowman Townsend

Jonathan Keeney

Sam Quinn

Mike Seal

The band’s sound has changed a bit since their last album, Runaway Freeway Blues, which was a bit more country than the current Americana sound. Each style works for me and I presume most if not all of their fans.

Cruz Contreras, Sam Quinn

Trisha Gene Brady

Contreras has a lovely voice which is extremely well-suited to their music, and Brady harmonizes with him beautifully. She sang lead on one song and I would like to see her do more leads (in addition to Contreras’s leads, of course).

Trisha Gene Brady

I love the addition of Keeney on pedal steel! Admittedly, I am partial to bands that include pedal steel and Keeney is a very good player. Quinn and Seal add much depth to the music as well. I imagine it can be hard to fill the shoes of a musician who was integral to a band, but they do that and then some. I am excited to see them become more entrenched in the band in the future.

Sam Quinn, Mike Seal

One of the highlights of  the set is pictured below, when Contreras played the keyboard with one foot! Channeling Jerry Lee Lewis, Cruz?

Cruz Contreras

At the end of their set of original tunes, they played two cover songs which relate to their PledgeMusic© campaign; I believe one of the rewards was for the band to perform a cover song of the purchaser’s choice. They played ‘Up on Cripple Creek’ and had everyone singing along with them (and also dancing).

Cruz Contreras, Sam Quinn

If you want to view a little magic from this show, click here.

Trisha Gene Brady

I cannot wait to see The Black Lillies open for Turnpike Troubadours (a band from Oklahoma that I have been told does not tour much outside their area) in the fall; this is a national tour and I highly recommend seeing this show if it arrives at a city near you.