Café R & B : Baby Get It On!!

And so begins a raucous night full of skin-tight grooves and skin-tight dresses! Cafe R&B hit it out of the park and bring it all back home!! The result is a slam-bang home run that leave the audience cheering and leave the suited up band spent - though proudly wearing  the "W"!!

Everyone loves Café R&B, and as near as I can tell it's vice versa. The sheer amounts of love Roach sends is proof. I love everything about this band and so does everyone here tonight. My favorite song they do is "Phonecall From Levenworth" but every song is electrifying and their sets run the gamut of rock 'n' roll to grimey blues to heartfelt soul.

Bobby Pickett is the head-bobbing bassist with the bottom end like no other. Check out his recent article* in the 2011 Blues Festival Guide!! Harry Cohen jammed the wicked organ and drummer Don Swanson was in absentia due to injury, leaving Adam Gust holding the sticks. He did a totally righteous job!! Played like a champ!! Here's wishing Don a speedy recovery and looking forward to his return to the throne. Watching Byl Caruthers dominate his axes make me almost feel sorry for the Stratocaster and the others, but their pain is all for art. And music.  Beautiful fuckin' music!!!

*Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2011 (p.52—54) - [click on the article to enlarge]

Café R & B : Her Name Is Roach!

I have run outta adjectives trying to describe the greatest band that plays at Harvelle's.

Suffice it to say that I get a wild thrill hearing lead singer Roach's insanely beautiful voice transcend anger, power and lovin' - all the emotions at once. (I guess I got a few adjectives left.)

Lucky for her she's driven a Cadillac full of the meanest, grimiest players; soul hitchhikers picked up along the way from the blues swamps of the South to the West coast revivalist movement.

A talent like Roach is such a rare find that it's almost too heavy to fathom. Seeing Cafe R&B in such a small venue is a blues fans' dream come true. An experience to write home about.

Cafe R&B, is Byl Caruthers - guitar, Roach - vocals, Bobby Pickett- bass, Don Swanson - drums, and Harry Cohen on the organ.

Café R & B : MORE ROACH!!

Café R&B are one of the greatest bands to ever play Harvelle's. The lead singer - Roach - is an amazing (more than amazing really) singer. She is really something to see!! I know that her and husband/lead guitarist Byl are avid readers of this blog. (Hey!) Here's a few more shots I took the other night that I wanted to share with everyone.

all photos taken with the Hipstamatic™ app for the iPhone

Café R & B : Finger Poppin'

I'm glad I made it out tonight.

I haven't seen Café R&B in a couple of months (!), so I knew I needed to be there tonight. something about 'em soothes my soul, makes me forget my worries for a bit... the longer the better...

Roach is a love rush

Café R&B enjoy the blues.

Café R&B personify the blues.

Tonight was no exception... the gang was all there and I made it in time for a pair of my favorite jams "Evil" and "Shine" which had Harry (organ) and Byl (guitar) playing back 'n' forth like rogue bluesmen battling El Diablo for the return of Robert Johnson's soul!

Byl Caruthers on lead guitar

Bobby Pickett's bass face

above: Don Swanson's got the beat!

below: Harry Cohen crushes on the B3

All that's left to say is one word.

"Roach".

That's it.

One word to describe the pandemonium-enducing ultra-female that fronts this quintet. She always looks and sounds good, she always digs deep down and she always delivers 'til she can't deliver no more!!!!

Saturday night fever, indeed.

Café R & B : Where The Hell Am I?

It's Saturday night. I'm in Santa Monica. I'm at Harvelle's. Where the hell else would I be?

I'm in luck. Tonight Cafè R&B is performing.

Appropriate for my mood, I'm ready to rock the casbah along with the rest of them beautiful people out here on the dance floor.

My mind is numb from the weekday grind. Glad I'm here. As Roach sings about "phonecalls from Levenworth", her man Byl launches into solo after solo of guitar shredding madness with the unwavering eye of the tiger. Delta blues - shmelta blues.... Byl is the real deal!

Don Swanson pounds the skins into submission.

Blues submission.

Another night in Santa Monica. Probably do it again tomorrow night.

Sunday is The Toledo Show.

See you then.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Café R & B : You Make Everything Groovy, Baby

Crazy blues demons Café R&B packed the club tonight...

Roach took and held the stage...
Thank you!

Good night!

Café R & B : Wild Thing...

If you're reading this, I assume you managed to wither the "holidays", and can get right to the rest of the weekend. Tonight, Saturday Night, there is no better place than where you can see Café R&B.

Right, Harvelle's it is.

Cafe R&B : Another Saturday Night...

...and I ain't got nobody...

And it's true.

My dating life is less than stellar, and if it weren't for the blues, i would feel so alone, but to hear the pain and anguish of a crying Stratocaster, eases my sick soul every once in a while. This blog keeps me in the club. It's become some kind of daily anti-depressant alive with the sounds of jazz, blues, r&b, funk, country, swing and many other genres.

Let's just say it:

Café R&B are the cure for the blues. Loud, raucous, heart-pounding, lead singer Roach, fronts an arm-flailing, non-stop good time. And the boys in the band... they just plain kick ass!

Saturday night may not be so bad after all.

Cafe R&B On A Saturday Night!

Another Saturday night, another sumptuous meal served up by the hands of Cafe R&B chefs. But it's not a restaurant - it's a state -of-mind - so be prepared to be filled spoonful by delicious spoonful of their evol brew.

Cafe R&B - the Southern California based rhythm and blues group dedicated to rockin' you  into a sweaty frenzy. In this case Harvelle's was the target of their blues explosion. Packing the dance floor, the mighty Roach lead the crowd through her double-edged Saturday night party/Sunday morning repentance vibe, as only someone who's lived it can! Roach is the real deal!!!

Byl Caruthers on guitar is a modern day bluesman with the chops and edginess of someone who grew up in the Mississippi delta. 

Café R&B : Roach = Stupefying

No one can deny that Roach is the greatest front woman of all time. 

'Mesmerizing', 'dizzying', 'stupefying' are all words that can describe her performance on any given night. The love affair between Café R & B and Harvelle's is well documented. They recorded their most recent album live there. This past Saturday night was no exception. The audience loved her and she loved them right back.

Café R&B : Byl's Birthday Party

Happy Birthday to Byl!! 

Café R & B's electric axeman celebrates another turn of the globe with what will surely be a night to remember (if you can!). Byl and Roach and the rest of the band will all be there, dressed sharp and ready to party. 

Café R&B : 2 words - Blues Explosion!!!

That's right! 

Café R & B - brings it's sweet and sweaty explosion of blues power and fierce lead vocals courtesy of Roach. Audiences are stupify-ied in her prescence!!! 

The best night of the week at the coolest club on the Westside.

Café R&B : Dancing About Architecture

Café R&B are something that needs to be experienced live! Tonight, Saturday Dec 27, might be the right time for the experience. I believe Elvis Costello said "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture", and while here at my humble little blog, I try to describe music as best as possible, Café R&B need to be seen to be believed. With apologies to Mr. Costello, I write the following: Lead singer Roach, stupifies the audience with her own breed of voodoo soul 'n' blues, while the men in suits lock it up and hold it down!!! Must be seen to be believed! 

You can quote me on that.

Café R&B : Happy And Breathless

The bluesy, rockin' quintet, known as Café R&B, is something that needs to be experienced live. The men, in suits, rock hard and funky, while lead singer Roach puts on a show full of life, pain and love, sung and celebrated, leaving the crowd sweaty but saved. 

Join the folks at Harvelle's tonight for a highly anticipated show by these powerhouse L.A. legends. They are sure to leave you happy and breathless!