Washington, DC
January 11, 2007 

Washington, DC loves when Steve Cole comes to town.  Right off the bat, we know that we’re going to have a good time and hear some great music. 

Steve played a lot of his hits, like “Everyday,” “When I Think of You,” and “Our Love,” from his earlier releases.  “Our Love” never fails to bring the audience to an emotional high, thanks to the beauty of the song and the power of Steve’s playing.  The last song of the set, “Got It Goin’ On,” featured a head-bopping solo by bassist Dave Hiltebrand and a musical interplay between Dave and drummer Clyde Davis.

He also introduced a lot of material from his latest CD, released in November, True.  Having heard and liked the album already, I was anxious to hear how the new songs would sound and how the audience would receive them.  “Bounce” was the first song played from his new release and one that the audience took to immediately.  It’s very danceable, and Steve really puts his all into it.  Midway through the song, while the rest of the band remained silent, Steve and Clyde traded off back and forth.  He shared his musical influences with us in two songs from True, “Just a Natural Thing,” and “Curtis.”  Steve and the band dug into the new music with a lot of passion, which they had no problem conveying to the audience.

Steve mentioned that he’s been married for a very long time, but had never written a song for his wife up until his previous release, Spin. So he played his love song to his wife, “A Letter to Laura,” and the hit single, "Thursday."   Keyboardist Mike Ricchutti’s playing nicely accented these songs. 

Steve’s song “Say It Again,” is another crowd pleaser.  On the CD, this song is an up-tempo tune, but live and in person, Steve gave it a different treatment; he slowed it down.  He didn’t rush this song.  He took his time, letting each note slowly unfold as the audience snaps alongside his playing.  He built the momentum and then belted out “the chorus.”  Guitarist Gerey Johnson did a sweet solo that started kind of bluesy then morphed into something totally different during this number.

Despite a few problems at the venue, the show was very entertaining, and Steve Cole and his talented band did not disappoint.  His fans got what they came for, and we look forward to his next appearance in our area.

- Mary Bentley