I had the chance to check out a great live show last night featuring lady band Raining Jane, blues/funk/soul master Marc Broussard, and their host for the evening Sara Bareilles at the Wiltern in LA.



Raining Jane opened with what can be considered an acoustic set. No drum set, but a cajon. Becky Gebhardt would display her sitar abilities in the middle/end of the their set. Yes, I said sitar. Raining Jane features four women, with three of the women harmonizing their vocals. Mai Bloomfield and Chaska Potter split the lead vocals, and on great occasions lead together. Potter and Bloomfield's voices when juxtaposed, contrast in just the right way. You can hear the combination in the chorus of "Incline" my favorite song from their latest EP Paper Nest.

Here are a few of their tracks off the Paper Nest EP
Incline
Castles and Factories
Desperate Sails



Marc Broussard then took the stage and blew it up. Broussard has a new album out titled Keep Coming Back. This is his most complete full length to date. He was featured earlier in this blog, when his song Must Be The Water, off the Must Be The Water EP, was chosen to be the theme song for the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.

Broussard is the most bluesy and soul driven white man you have ever listened to. His first line on the track, "Why Should She Wait," a collab with Sara Bareilles, has a stinger of a first line that makes you instantly want to hear what Broussard gives on the rest of the track. Bareilles performed the song live with Broussard, even though her vocals in the recorded track and live sounded more like background.

Broussard is multi-dimensional with his ability to serenade Al Green style with a soft vulnerable track like 'Real Good Thing' yet he can also hit hard with soul track "Hard Knocks". The tracks mentioned will be below.

Why She Should Wait
Real Good Thing
Hard Knocks