Some men were born to sing.
Some men were born to perform.
Paul Janeway was born to do both.
The lead singer for Alabama’s St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Janeway was a tour de force Tuesday night as the band made their Toronto debut on the heels of their well received debut album.
Informing the crowd he had been singing since he was a child, Paul Janeway’s powerful voice and soul-inspired moves put the sold out crowd (surprisingly, mostly middle age white men) into quite the frenzy. I myself was surprised, I had always, for better or for worse, related soul music of this sort to black people but this all white band had the moves and the grooves. Take that, stereotype!
Having only released their debut album in February, you would think the group would be perform somewhat like rookies, but instead, they played it like wily veterans. Well dressed with impeccable timing, banter and musicianship, you can tell the group has done their research on proper soul shows. This holds true especially for lead singer Paul Janeway. Dancing akin to James Brown at time, the man preached his music to the masses, even dropping to his knees during his encore and it all melded into a great experience.
With only one album under their belt, the group extended their show with a slew of covers, some worked well, like Otis Redding’s Down In The Valley, while others fell flat, like Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees. You can’t really fault them for trying though.
When the sweaty lead (and crowd) was said and done, the band had romped through a 90 minute set that left everyone exhausted and happy.