Location: Velden am Wörthersee / Bluesiana Rock Cafe / Austria
Concert date: June 18, 2015
Attendance: 30
Ticket price: presale €25; day of show €30; students 15 €
No matter how much is going on in the gig world around us these days, a night at Bluesiana never disappoints. Since reopening this year, it has already served up quite a few musical treats, and the lineup looks just as packed for the coming summer and fall. This time we got an exclusive show from Bluesiana regular Alen Brentini, joined by his American buddy Michael T. Ross.
Alen Brentini needs no introduction to Bluesiana regulars. The Croatian guitar virtuoso from Rijeka stops by every year, and last year we got to see him not once but twice (the Rockline report from February 2014 is HERE, and the one from November 2014 is HERE). The guitar is his constant companion, and lately the guys from Sex Tension keep him company on stage too. This time, with second guitarist Damjan Brnić absent, Arsen Uran on bass and Dejan Turk on drums joined him. In 2014 Alen put out his third solo album, Soul’d Out, and he and Sex Tension are also writing original songs together, which we hope will see the light of day on an album at some point.
Alen and Michael T. Ross have worked on joint music projects before. Alen found Michael on Myspace years ago and invited him to collaborate on some music. Michael T. Ross has worked with the bands Angel and Hardline, and he was also part of the touring crew backing Lita Ford. Right now he’s involved in the Raiding The Rock Vault project in Vegas, alongside eminent names of the American music scene like Doug Aldrich, Hugh McDonald and Andrew Freeman. Lucky for us, he wanted a few days of vacation at Alen’s place in Rijeka, which opened the door to an exclusive show by the two of them at Bluesiana. It was an opportunity most people sadly missed, since the crowd at Bluesiana this time was only a little bigger than the number of fingers we have. Still, a wonderful evening in the company of Bluesiana’s regulars was in the cards.
The relaxed vibe of both performers was clear the moment we arrived, as Michael and Alen chatted easily with everyone right after the soundcheck. Around half past nine in the evening, the musicians finally started drifting toward the stage. In the first round we watched Alen Brentini play with his Sex Tension crew, without Michael T. Ross, who took in the set from among the audience. Despite the tiny crowd, Alen bravely dug into the setlist. He played a few originals from his latest album Soul’d Out as well as some covers, so we in the crowd could sing along with Alen. And even though there were so few of us, our shouting gave the musicians on stage the feeling that there were at least 100 of us. The guys onstage felt it too and soon gave themselves over completely to their creativity. And what they created was masterful. Alen is precise in his playing, yet tender and soulful with his guitar. His repertoire covers both hard rock and pure blues, and he approaches both with the same refined feel for sound and harmony. One moment he swept the audience off into a dreamy fantasy, the next he had them on their feet and swaying to the rhythm. Alen is a pro on stage and takes music seriously, but he never forgets his emotions, the pain, the joy, and he pours it all into melodies that always win the listener over. And he’s not just good with the guitar, but with his voice too, which is just clean enough and just raspy enough to fit all the different genres he plays.
In the second part, after a short introduction, Michael T. Ross joined Alen, Dejan and Arsen on stage and took his spot behind the keyboards. Michael added a touch of sparkle and playfulness to the rest of the show, spicing up what was happening on stage. Even so, all four came across as a well-oiled band, and nobody would have guessed they’d had only two days to rehearse. You could tell Michael was enjoying his role, his expression was relaxed, and his playing was carefree and full of fun. None of the players were overly talkative, so music dominated the stage the whole time. The guys also gave Michael a keyboard solo spot, and he proved himself a pro without any trouble. Even though the keyboards in the club weren’t his own, it was obvious he found his way around the black and white keys just fine. Sadly, the show was racing toward its end, and after the Whitesnake hit Here I Go Again, the foursome left the stage. Small as the crowd was, we managed to call them back. A short huddle followed about what else to play, and we got a fun version of Walking By Myself, where it took the musicians a while to get in sync on the melodies. But that’s exactly what made the mood even more relaxed, both on stage and in front of it.
The guys said goodbye once more, and the moment Michael stepped off the stage he asked if he could play a bit on the piano standing against the wall in Bluesiana. Of course we all said yes loudly and moved over to the upright. Michael ran his hands over the black and white keys with practiced ease, and Queen’s hit We Are The Champions rang out through Bluesiana. Without a single mistake. Spellbound, we listened and watched the maestro, completely merged with the melody he was playing. The air was thick with emotion, and it got to Michael too, as he brought the song home with tears in his eyes, thanked Gudrun for the opportunity, and hugged every single person in the room.
An unexpected but wonderful way to end the show. The Croatian–American harmony worked, and we of course hope we won’t have to wait another 5 years for a reunion in Europe. A truly one-of-a-kind, personal concert experience, the kind you can probably only get at Bluesiana. That alone makes it worth crossing the border. Emotional, yet perfect.
Setlist
1. You Give Love A Bad Name (Bon Jovi)
2. Somenone’s Love
3. Fire (Jimi Hendrix)
4. Fool For Your Loving (Whitesnake)/Final Countdown (Europe)
5. Trust
6. Shot In The Dark (Ozzy Osbourne)
7. Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix)
8. Crossroads (Cream)
9. We All Die Young (Steelheart)
10. Symphony Of Destruction (Megadeth)
11. All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix)
12. Wishing Well
13. Make You Happy
14. Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple)
15. Losing You
16. Transexpress
17. Here I Go Again (Whitesnake)
—encore
18. Walking By Myself (Gary Moore)
