Halfway Through Summer, The Record Company Cuts the Heat

The Record Company

Tuesday, July 26

Heavy, heady summer evenings call for just a little more than cool Lake Erie breezes. And so the midpoint of the 8 Great Tuesdays concert series at the Amphitheater at Liberty Park infuses the air with blasts of energetic, blues-based rock and roll courtesy of The Record Company. The band takes the stage at 6:30 pm., bringing their raw, rhythmic, guitar-thumping tunes and growling vocals to ignite the evening with sound.

If the music alone isn't enough to cut through the summer daze, then certainly this band's eclectic range of influences will perk up a listener's ear or two. Chris Vos (vocals, guitars, lap steel, pedal steel, harmonica), Alex Stiff (bass, guitars, vocals) and Marc Cazorla (drums, piano, vocals) cite John Lee Hooker, The Stooges, and The Rolling Stones as having an impact, but Vos' no-frills upbringing on a Wisconsin dairy farm can be felt in the honesty and openness of their music.

"Don't Let Me Get Lonely" is a clean-cut, Stones-infused track with simple beats and instrumentation, laying jangling guitars, reedy harmonica, and a lithe melody over airy percussion. Another great listen is "Rita Mae Brown," which is pure modern blues with curving, achy guitars that highlight the mournful melody and "heartland-hued" lead vocals. Hit Spotify, check out the band's full-length debut Give it Back to You, and then prepare to let the live sound cut through the late July heat. Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle open for The Record Company. – Miriam Lamey

6:30 p.m. // Lawrence Pier // porterie.org