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Elena James Band at the Middle East  13/2/06
Reviews

From: Maria Jones
Category: Music
Date: 04 April 2006

Review

The Middle East showcases some of Boston's best music particularly in the rock genre. The Elena James Band is no exception as they displayed great potential in their February 13th performance in the Middle East Emergenza Battle of the Bands. Many of the other bands had a lackluster appearance and sound. So when Elena emerged onto the stage clad in a short skirt, knee high boots and a sequin guitar strap you bet the crowd took notice. Drummer Katherine Tedeschi also caught the eyes of the full capacity crowd being that she is female (a rarity in the drumming world)and she's definitely a looker. Thankfully these girls chops match their appearances as the played a killer set of what I am terming "dirty girl rock." Think Joan Jett meets Shirley Manson of Garbage meets Tori Amos. In fact, their style of playing ranged from rock to blues to pop so it's hard to put them in one rigid genre. Accompanied by lead guitarist Ryan Logsdon and Eric Marian on bass they electrified the crowd with their first song "Hey There." The hook "hey there you look irresistible" immediately had the audience singing and moving around like it was prom night. Songs such as "Electric" (definitely worthy of its title) and "Real Good" (great bluesy feel) were my personal favorites fue to their up tempo nature and great guitar solos. Ryan Logsdon definitely played his heart out using a variety of pedals and styles. My only critique was he could have had a little more crowd interaction. Bass player Eric Marian had some great lines but some of them were low in the mix. I blame the sound for that! Overall, they have a great sound and great personalities to match. They were all very friendly and enthusiastic after the show giving away free demos and chatting with fans. Their sites www.elenajames.com and www.myspace.com/elenajames gives has all their upcoming gigs. If you are in the New England area, definitely check them out or just wait until them come to a town near you. It's only a matter of time before they gain national recognition.

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