Elf Lettuce

Elf Lettuce Band Review Live at Jimmy Sea's in Green Bay, Wisconsin

By TJ
March 26, 2009
It is amazing how much anxiety can pile on your mind throughout the week. It is even more amazing how quickly music can release and relieve that tension. When I was young, my grade school music teacher told our class to close our eyes and see the music. Now that may have been a little above the minds of most children, but till this day I have not opened my eyes and the music has never stopped. That is why I love this band Elf Lettuce so much. Walking into Jimmy Seas, it was almost as if you could feel the air getting lighter, then all of a sudden your senses are telling you to lay back, chill out, and relax. While the sounds of Elf Lettuce may at times venture off into psychedelic rock, roots, funk, and blues, the overall good feeling sound this band creates remains constant. Jacob Lison is a brilliant guitarist and vocalist, and his gift on the Stratocaster is truly captivating. Jacob can jam, and thank God he's got some great musicians to hold his ground when he takes off. While the technical abilities of what Jacob puts down is remarkable, I'm more blown away by the sound of what this band is putting together. It is ridiculously smooth, warm, and ambient. Jacob's vocals are down to earth and working class, that is when he is not improvising through the scales on the guitar at surreal rate. I can name a handful of guitar legends that can speak through the guitar as if it were their natural voice in a conversation, Jacob is that fluent. While the guitar work in this band is one of its more stand out features. I think that even Jacob would agree that there is more to this band than the epic, heady melodies. I personally could listen to the dream like solos forever, but this band can go off on a tangent and then slap you awake with some very eclectic covers. My personal favorite was the Bob Dylan tune called "Maggie's Farm." Jimmy Sea's had a young, very hip crowd and the more recognizable tunes both cover and originals had people out on the dance floor. I guess I should also mention that there were alot of fans/friends/family at this show, it almost seemed like it was a homecoming event! The tunes went on, the daily decompression continued, and the songs were sung, as the night slipped by into early morning. I really started to appreciate Sir Eli Allen Reichenbergers walking bass lines, Alex White and his ever steady solid rhythm guitar and delicious Hamer tone and Joe Murray and his Earthy funk, but not too funk, drum styles and explosive fills. Together this band has some incredible musical talent, and there is a little restraint in what they do, that is what makes the music so great, but not so over the top to the point of saturation. If I am at any musical festival with tent in tow, sunshine, and sweet smelling air, Elf Lettuce is the band I want to see. With a name like Elf Lettuce, I expected to see the stage decorated with garden gnomes, instead I got a heady, feel good blues/roots/rock band from Madtown that can take you on a melodic trip. Great show guys, just what I needed! Elf Lettuce will be back in town and playing at IQ's on May 16th.
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