Bob Noble & Blue Voodoo

Bob Noble & Blue Voodoo performed at our local Irish pub, Annie Bailey's in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania this weekend. Not having heard any good blues bands in a live setting recently, my husband and I were looking forward to a powerful night out jamming to some great music and good food.

The first set performed by this 3-piece band from Columbia, Pennsylvania was catchy, upbeat and had great medleys. I heard some great cover songs of wonderful blues songs, and my husband picked up on some very Van Halenesque tunes and jams.

The vocals, led by Bob Noble who plays guitar and Roy Uphold, the drummer, were raw, yet tuned and both very unique. Bob, the bands' lead, offered up some great guitar riffs and surprised us with wonderful jams on the keyboard all while playing guitar and singing.

The drumbeats were heavy and hard and the bass guitar player, John Schatt, despite looking as if he were napping, offered up a steady bass line. All in all, the trio offered a good sound...for a cover band.

According to their website, http://www.bobnobleband.com/, they have been offering a rock/blues outlet since 1998. They state that they play original and cover material and the website offers a listen to their original recordings. However, during the three out of four hours I stayed to listen and watch their performance, I heard no original material.

I love a good cover band, especially when it's songs I love. I can hear a cover band anywhere, but a band that states it carries rock and blues is always a nice change. I was hoping to tune into more of their original style that evening, especially in the later hours when bands usually let go of the norm. I heard none of this.

Although Bob Noble & Blue Voodoo has an entertaining evening jam, both my husband and I were disappointed at the lack of original material and breakout music lines to draw us into a unique style. Hopefully we will get to hear them in another setting where they will be feel more inhibited to express their original style with their audience. In the meantime, I will keep searching for the elusive "new" blues band.