By Photographer and Writer William O’Donoghue
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State Theatre, Portland, Maine 2/15/20
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The work of a jam band requires a fierce and loyal following to thrive; by that measure, Twiddle has made it and is here to stay.
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Comprising of front-man Mihali Savoulidis (lead guitar, vox), Zdenek Gubb (bass, vox), Ryan Dempsey (keys, vox), and Brook Jordan (percussion, vox), Twiddle enraptured the State Theatre this Saturday, February 15th.
The night kicked off with Wild Adriatic, followed by Strange Machines, creating a recipe sure to thrill during this Valentine’s weekend.
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Wild Adriatic got the crowd going with their hard rock sensibilities, showing off their versatility with a unique take on Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”. These guys are absolutely realizing their soul sensibilities, revealing the many facets of their pop-rock roots.
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Vermont-based Strange Machines followed. These guys are no strangers to the members of Twiddle, who have shown consistent love for playing with fellow local musicians in a wide variety of shows. Strange Machines features Mike MacDonald (guitar, vox), Craig Holland ( bass, vox), Josh Dobbs (keyboard), & Ryan ‘Claw’ Clausen (drums): an expert choice to prime the crowd with their unique, immersive blend of psychedelic rock. Keep your eyes on them, folks.
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Both Dobbs and Clausen have been consistent staples of Burlington’s notorious Dead Set at Nectar’s (Burlington, VT) since its inception seven years ago, filling crowds with their own takes on Dead covers every Tuesday. At the right time, you might even find Mihali and/or Gubb throwing their stylings into the mix. Though perhaps these days, you may be more likely to find the guys throwing down at Ryan Dempsey’s own new club/venue, Orlando’s Bar.
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Following an epic finale in which Mihali joined Strange Machines for their electro-jam fan-favorite “Klepto”, the stage went dark to prepare for Twiddle, as the crowd continued to grow and buzz in anticipation.
The lights came up, the band emerged, and the crowd instantly threw all of their considerable energy in as “Nicodemus Portulay” began to take shape.
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Electricity was in the air, the crowd was primed, and Dempsey took the lead as Twiddle dove into “Gatsby the Great”. The crowd was fully immersed as the group seamlessly slid into “Zazu’s Flight” before finishing off this take of “Gatsby”.
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A true highlight for this Frend was the first set finale, featuring Josh Dobbs stepping in on the keys to fill out the melodious and heartfelt “Out In The Cold”.
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The stage was silent once again, as we buzzed with anticipation of what was to come.
They may be a new(er) generation of ‘jam’ band to the fiercely loyal and competitive scene of Burlington, but hot damn, these guys know what they are doing.
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“Blunderbuss”, as the title evokes, exploded through the crowd like a starburst, as Dempsey, Gubb, and Jordan rode out a rhythmic sound-storm.
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“Jamflowman”, a well-loved Twiddle staple, found Mihali back at the forefront, with beautiful solo riffs, as the crowd enthusiastically joined in to sing along. This crowd favorite transitioned into “Frankenfoote”, as Mihali continued to dominate the stage, before moving “Into the Kitchen”.
Not enough yet? Certainly not. Dempsey threw the crowd straight into the band’s tried and true cover of Mason William’s timeless hit, “Classical Gas”. Set two came to a close to resounding applause and ecstatic cheers.
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But being from Vermont, Twiddle was not done yet. Finishing off (so we thought), with a “Syncopated Healing” that is equal parts wildly improvisational and harmonious, the Frends are satisfied.
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But then, before we knew it, we were hit with a “Juggernaut”.
Minds blown, loves found and reinforced, Twiddle exited the stage.
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