Gino Vannelli at Ram's Head Tavern

The Ram’s Head Tavern was sold out weeks ahead of time for the one-nite only arrival of Gino Vannelli. I had not heard much of anything about Gino since the heyday of his success in the 80’s and early 90’s during which time he scored such hits as Apaloosa, People Gotta Move, and the hit that just won’t quit, I Just Gotta Stop (and tell you what I feel about ya, babe).  

During those years, Gino, along with his talented brothers, Joe and Ross Vannelli, had put together one of the slickest and most interesting bands of the time.  I had always been drawn into his music because of how they were able to infuse a kind of jazzed-over, funky syncopation into their music that made you want to play along on every “air” instrument that was used in the song - air guitar, air drums, air keyboards you name it. The title cut from his 1988 album “Brother to Brother” still knocks my socks off every time I hear it, and once again, I was left barefoot that night. The ferocious drumming, the mind-expanding guitar shredding, and kick-ass bass lines left me in a state of awe as to just how good it was to be a part of the music scene during those days.  The set was zapped with still another shot of adrenaline by a 3-piece brass section that was so sharp you might have flashed back to Steely Dan’s “My Old School”.  Not only did Gino rock the house with his dazzling performance of those foot-stomping crowd-pleasers, he did not disappoint when it came to performing such wistful ballads as “People I Belong To” and “Living Inside Myself”.  Amazingly, his voice showed only a smidgeon of wear after all these years and he never shied away from the high notes, keeping all of the songs as authentic as when they were first laid down on vinyl.

It is also worth noting that while the show was musically spectacular, it definitely has a Vegas-style visual quality to it.  A self-admitted admirer of the theatrical, Gino brought the flashing lights, the dramatic “stop-time” breaks, complete with bandleader antics, and an outfit featuring skinny jeans and a hip-length leather jacket with the collar turned up, a la “The Fonz”.  During breaks between songs, Gino completely engaged the audience with short anecdotes revealing how his quasi-love/hate relationship with the Catholic Church and his ultimate search for the meaning of life had influenced him along the way on his musical journey. Oh, and he still has the big hair, although styled in not quite the same Greek-god studliness that you might remember him rocking on those old classic LP jacket covers.  (Time does affect us all in different ways, you know). 

All in all, Gino Vannelli, live, is a must see. He is truly a great musician, performer, a professional, and a really nice guy.  I loved every minute of it.

G.