Absolutely no one has ever wondered what would happen if a mad scientist isolated the musical DNA of Camper Van Beethoven, New York Dolls and Georgia Satellites and recombined them in a beaker with a shot of Gospel and a splash of Soul. If that thought should cross some inquiring mind, rest assured they need only slip a copy of the eponymous 2010 sophomore release by J. Roddy Walston and the Business into the changer, thereby saving science a lot of time, effort and unnecessary expenditure.
Walston howls with a raspy passion that leans in the direction of David Lowery and Bobby Bare Jr. and pounds on the keys with the hellhound-on-Saturday/service-on-Sunday duality of Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. This iteration of the Business (different than the lineup on 2007’s Hail Mega Boys) swings with a Stonesy swagger, Southern Rock authority and a glammy Hard Rock vibe that would surely inspire a grin from the most faithful Foxy Shazam fan.
Walston was born in Tennessee but relocated to Baltimore as a child and his music reflects that urban/rural range with a wild-eyed glee and a manic energy, which he and the Business amp up to an almost unquantifiable level in front of any given audience. Buckle up and prepare for lift-off; J. Roddy Walston and the Business are counting down to a launch pad/dance floor explosion.
The group’s show in Cincy is the inaugural concert in the theater’s newly renovated “Ballroom at the Taft,” a more intimate room than the main-stage area.
J. RODDY WALSTON AND THE BUSINESS plays Saturday, March 24 at the Ballroom at the Taft Theatre with guests The Features and Pop Empire. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
