This was a fun one. Washington, DC’s storied 9:30 Club hosted an evening of soul, playing to a packed house Saturday night. On the bill? The amazing Lee Fields with support from the funky Monophonics.
Hailing from the San Francisco Bay area and led by producer/multi-instrumentalist (and a solo artist under his own name) Kelly Finnigan, Monophonics’ latest album (the band’s fifth) is Sage Motel, released in 2022. Praised for capturing a difficult to nail ’60s soul vibe, Sage Motel tells the story of, as the band itself puts it, a “place where folks experience the highs and lows of human existence. A place where big dreams and broken hearts live, where people arrive without ever knowing how they got there. It’s where folks find themselves at a crossroads in life.”
Along with the usual guitar, drums, and bass, Monophonics features the glorious use of synths and horns to create a pure retro soul/psychedelic rock sound. Reviews compare Finnigan’s voice to Marvin Gaye, and I agree with that; however, as someone who was previously unfamiliar with Monophonics, I would also argue there are similarities in the band’s sound to contemporaries like St. Paul & The Broken Bones. But while Paul Janeway’s performances and songs reflect a grounding in the church, Monophonics feels like the darker flip side of that retro soul band coin with a more intimate feel to their performance. Indeed, late in the set, the band played their incredible “Warpaint,” a song about addiction.
In any event, the crowd ate it up, singing along and dancing and, by the time I left the photo pit three songs into the set, the venue was already full, surprising for an early show. Monophonics may be known as Bay Area band, but they have a following in the DC area, too, as demonstrated Saturday night. Some folks even left after their hour-long set, finishing up their Saturday night elsewhere. Those who left early missed out on something good, as Lee Fields took the stage with his band, The Expressions, at about 7:45pm and promptly tore the house down.
Lee Fields comes to us from North Carolina, where he was born in 1950; later this month he turns 74. In his decades-long career, he’s performed and worked with pretty much everyone—Kool and the Gang, Dr. John, Bobby Bland, Little Milton and others. There are at least twenty albums to his name, including seven with The Expressions. His latest album, 2022’s Sentimental Fool, marks his official induction into the Daptone Records roster of artists, and features a backing band made up of musicians from the Daptone family, including Thomas Brenneck of my beloved Budos Band.
Folks I’m here to tell you this man delivered a performance with fire, charisma, and zeal that would put other performers half his age to shame. I’ll admit to being unfamiliar with Fields prior to Saturday night—I mention it here because I love a pleasant and fun surprise, which is exactly what I got.
His fabulous Expressions took the stage and warmed up the crowd with an extended introduction, and by the time Fields took the stage, the crowd exploded in cheers. Fields’ charm and stage presence were top shelf; it’s easy to see how he is regarded as “arguably the greatest pure soul singer alive today.” Dressed in a sequined jacket with matching pants, Fields danced, sang, and bantered with the crowd, not dialing down the energy for even a minute. One of his strongest skills as a showman is working the audience—”Ladies” got him engaging with couples along the barrier, and “Two Jobs” got the entire crowd hollering.
It was so much fun. Everyone was smiling—the crowd, us photographers, and even the band members were grinning and looking like they were having a great time. We bowed to Fields as we left the photo pit.
Lee Fields and The Expressions have a handful of mid-Atlantic dates scheduled this spring, and in July they’ll be knocking around France, the Netherlands, and Belguim.
MONOPHONICS
LEE FIELDS SETLIST
You Can Count on Me
I Still Got It
Ladies
Forever
Got to Get Through to You
Never Be Another You
Two Jobs
Could’ve Been
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Money Is King
Find Someone To Love
Honey Dove
