Write a commentThe Adam Ezra Group rocked an absolutely packed Oswego Music Hall to the rafters on Saturday evening.
Ezra and his excellent band had the capacity crowd eating out of their hands and left them asking for more.
The concert followed a well-attended pre-show meet and greet session with Ezra along with representatives from service organization Clear Path For Veterans and artist and author Kelly Barbagos who, along with her husband Craig Anderson, displayed their project Homelessness In America- In Scene and Story. The Adam Ezra Group frequently advocates for veterans' causes, and each year hosts a music festival in Massachusetts, The Ramble, that supports homeless veteran organizations (to the tune of $151,000 in 2024!).
After a rousing introduction by EmCee Tim Nekritz, the band began their first set with some of their best known songs, then swung right into an unreleased new song, Pink Champagne, from the album they plan to release later in 2025. A rollicking cover of The Band's Ophelia brought the audience right into the vibe, followed by Switching To Whiskey (which recently reached the one million download mark) and a stellar drum intro by Alex Martin to hit song, We'll Be Alright Today.
The spotlight then fell onto guest bass player Nashua Robb, who was ably filling in for Poché Ponce, out with a tendon injury.
All four band members then stepped down off the stage to close out the first set, performing acoustic and unamplified songs, Positive I Was Negative and the gospel tune, Cross The River Jordan.
Adam Ezra came onstage solo to kick off the second set with a heartfelt and melodic rendering of The Beatles Blackbird, followed by a tune Ezra wrote for his young daughter, Pocket Full of Seashells.
When the band members rejoined him onstage, they got right back down to business. The audience had a hand clapping, foot stomping, finger snapping, singing along fabulous time.
Versatile violinist and vocalist Corinna Smith was a favorite of the audience, also occasionally picking up her accordion or stepping behind the keyboards. Her solos were the instrumental highlight of many favorite songs, particularly The Devil Went Up To Boston, a hilarious reworking of Charlie Daniels' The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
Throughout the evening Adam Ezra kept up a theme of gratefulness and empathy when he spoke to the crowd. He heaped praise upon the volunteers who make the Music Hall shows possible, and thanked the Clear Path For Veterans staff for all they do.
Ezra also said repeatedly that he loves playing in intimate venues such as the Oswego Music Hall, because it allows such a close relationship with the audience. To round out the evening, the four band members all stepped right into the middle of the crowd to lead the audience in a sing along of The Beatles classic, Let It Be.
In my opinion, you should absolutely get out to see this hard working band if they're ever playing in the area, as they frequently are! You won't be disappointed. The Adam Ezra Group is the real deal!
Next up at the Oswego Music Hall will be a guest curator production, Songs From The Trail. It is a multimedia, in-the-round presentation by three folk singers who share a passion for hiking the Appalachian Trail. That show is coming up next Saturday, March 29.
The Oswego Music Hall is located inside the historic McCrobie Civic Center at 41 Lake Street in Oswego. For tickets go the OswegoMusicHall.org, or stop into The River's End Bookstore in downtown Oswego.
