Ask any of the “Gold-Diggers” — the clever moniker certain some of the more obsessive BG fans/followers have bestowed upon themselves — and they’ll tell you that no matter how short their stage time, Black Gold is always capable of tearing up the most renowned of Hollywood’s row of Sunset bars/clubs. Indeed, tonight’s Roxy crowd seems comprised mostly of BG fans, a line stretching so far down the sidewalk in fact that I don’t stumble inside until the band has already finished their first number. Part of this is due to the fact that Roxy management has become sort of a stage act itself: upon arrival, I’m herded opposite a metal gate outside the box office while a bee-hived, chain-smoking, Jersey-accented club owner barks “Yeh godda wait in line like everyone else!” to a dozen flannel-decked twerpies, one of them who confessed tonight she’d be breaking her Hollywood club cherry (her words, not mine). Judging by the crowd, I’d be hard-pressed to disagree that Black Gold makes for a memorable first time.
The band’s fans seem equally divided between those there for the musicianship, and those aforementioned head-bobbers who’ve followed the Brooklyn duo around throughout their various incarnations over the years. Eric Ronick again proves himself to have the frontman/piano skills as well as the usual witty in-between banter (to the sound tech: “You know you’ve played a good set when even the sound tech is shakin’ his ass!”), but tonight’s a real showcase of the bond between drummer Than Luu and bassist Kerry Wayne-James. When they’re sympatico, the rhythm section churns out beats tighter than a nut. Kerry and Than stare freakishly lock eyes, a funked-up Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers locked in a dance whose rhythm few modern dance bands could hope to match.
Luu moves like a praying mantis behind his sequined, glimmering snare and hi-hat; Kerry manages to mesh pizzicato-style fretboard dexterity with shaking his ass like his life depended on it. Here’s a duo who’ve clearly been studying for years, honing their skills in a diverse range of musical styles: “Breakdown,” “Shine” and the usual hits like “Plans and Reveries” mixed jazz with pounding disco-ish groves worthy of a two-ton mirror ball. If anything, Luu and Kerry helped the songs stand out and hopefully develop a few new followers. A suggestion to the band and the club, if they ever read this: A few minutes to jam would be awesome. The unexpected is what Black Gold excels in, and an open session of improvisation would make the show all the more memorable.
Words by Jeff Nau, Photos by Sidney Bensimon
