The Bobs (and Bob Malone)

I went to see The Bobs last night at Wolf Trap. April doesn't quite count as summer, so the show was at The Barns, not the Filene Center. That turns out to be an advantage since the parking is easier and it didn't take me ages to get out of the place after the show.

Anyway, about all I knew about Bob Malone was that he had played the piano for The Bobs when they recorded "Rhapsody in Bob." My verdict is that I prefer him just to play the piano and not sing. He did his own songs and came across as a Billy Joel wannabe. A half hour of that was enough for me.

The Bobs were as interesting as always. One of the things I like about them is that they always have a wide mix of material. They don't ignore their old material (e.g. their covers of "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and of a Bach cello piece, as well as their original song "My Shoes") but they always have some new things as well. They're also a group it is worth seeing in person since the sheer insanity of, say, "Get Your Monkey Off My Dog" can't come across on a recording. (Maybe, just maybe, on a DVD.) Of the new material, I particularly liked "Beluga."

All in all, a fun show.