by Mike Lisching
Some shows unfold in moments; others move like a current you don’t quite notice until you’re already carried by it. The Record Company’s night at Great American Music Hall on March 26 felt like the latter; unforced, steadily building, and rooted in a sound that doesn’t need much dressing up to land.
The trio leans into a stripped-down approach that thrives on feel over flash. There’s a looseness to it, but the band knows exactly how much to push and when to let things breathe. Beginning with “Baby, I’m Broken” and “How High”, they settled into a groove early, while “Rita Mae Young” and “Feels So Good” carried that familiar balance of grit and authenticity that has become their signature.
What stood out wasn’t just the consistency, but the way the set shifted without breaking its own momentum. The acoustic stretch “Talk to Me” and “Last Lonely Winter” brought the room into closer focus, trading volume for intimacy without losing the thread. It’s a move that could feel like a reset in other hands, but here it felt like a natural turn in the same conversation.
From there, the energy opened back up. “Turn Me Loose” and “This Crooked City” carried a sense of release that had been building all night, culminating in “Off the Ground,” where everything seemed to crest at once.
The encore, anchored by a take on the Stone’s “Jumping Jack Flash,” didn’t so much shift the tone as underline it, raw, immediate, and grounded in the kind of rock tradition the band clearly draws from without feeling bound to it. At Great American Music Hall, with its warm light and close quarters, the performance felt especially at home. It’s the kind of room that rewards presence over production, and that’s exactly where The Record Company lives. No excess, no distance, just a band, a groove, and a crowd willing to meet them there… at the corner of Rock and Roll.
The Record Company is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of “Give it Back to You” with a deluxe expanded re-issue of the album. Available on all digital platforms and vinyl.
