Photo by Brent Moss Portland’s The Quick and Easy Boys were just coming off a national tour and a month and a half on the road. What better place for a show than their old stomping ground of The Goodfoot? With co-headliner The Bridge, the stage was set for an intense night of music and merry-making. The bar started filling up around 10pm and the Boys took the stage shortly thereafter. The last real show they played in town was their CD release party for their new album Red Light Rabbit at the much larger Wonder Ballroom, which was a smashing success. So it was no surprise at all that the tiny Goodfoot was jam-packed almost to sold-out capacity.

The Quick and Easy Boys wasted no time jumping into it and getting the excited crowd dancing and screaming “Yeah bud!” at the top of their lungs. While the band played a few of their well-known staples like “Beam of Light,” the first track off their first album Bad Decisions with Good People, they took the opportunity to play a couple of new tunes before the welcoming hometown crowd. One of the new ones had a great hook and slower, funkier groove than many of their tunes, while another new song had a decidedly twangy feel. Of course the band’s signature high-energy attack was in full effect for much of the night as lead guitarist Jimmy Russell was shredding solos with the guitar on his back a la Hendrix in no time.

It was evident that The Quick and Easy Boys were seasoned and firing on all cylinders coming off the road. All of the changes were extremely tight and each member was really hitting it. They developed grooves and solos patiently, working together to create a danceable sonic stew. Drummer Mike Goetz’s fierce and precise drumming was tightly interwoven with the solid bass lines of Sean Badders. Jokes and witty banter were also flying freely. Arguably, the peak of the set came with a blistering cover of the James Gang’s Funk #49. With funky, crunchy guitar and screaming vocals, the band and crowd rocked this tune in a huge way and the energy was easily sustained through the end of their well-received set.

The Bridge was up next and their more laid-back and melodic style, which takes heavily from influences like the Allman Brothers and Little Feat, was the perfect change of pace. But make no mistake, these guys also know how to jam tough. Not to mention the fact the Steve Berlin from Los Lobos was on hand to sit in on baritone sax for much of their set! The Bridge is a band made up of experienced road warriors and they definitely know how to play stellar music and work a crowd. The evening ended with a super-jam where members of both bands were rocking late into the night – a fine Thursday night of live music in Portland.