An Evening with Phat Anchovies

An Evening with Phat Anchovies
by Maddy Hanes

Walking into The Spot on Kirk, a venue nestled between two restaurants, maybe unassuming from the outside–but only to the uninitiated. It’s a small room, intimate, with music fans scattered about the edges. I’d seen Phat Anchovies perform one other time and waited for a familiar phenomena, as Phat Anchovies moves through their set, the disparate groups, once loyal to territory along the walls, begin to flow into the center and then the front of the room, together, under the electrified magnetism of the band.

Their sound is a concoction of blues, funk, soul, jazz, hard rock, all played with an hospitable ease for such a powerful five piece. Phat Anchovies is Eric Sutton on drums, Kendall St. Clair on bass, Eve-lynn Deegan on vocals, and the dual guitars of Caleb Gordon and Matt King. While there is complexity in their layered musicianship, the songs remain accessible, funky, and move with bluesy ease.

Featuring a set peppered with covers of contemporary favorites, their music creates an atmosphere for music lovers to sing and dance. Although fun-driven, their original tracks possess lyrical attributes more akin to the blues. Eve-lynn’s range is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, especially on the foreboding original “Shotgun,” a dark narrative told from the perspective of two foes. In contrast to that darker tone is “The Barn,” a song of lighthearted observations about the passing of time. While it’s a complex song, it’s balanced, too, and tempers the darker themes with a resonating earthiness more aligned with Joss Stone or Norah Jones. It’s a challenge not to focus on Eve-lynn’s thunderous vocal talents, but it’s the intricate foundation laid by the band allowing for boundless vocals to fill the atmosphere with vitality.

After witnessing all the happy faces, clapping hands, and swaying bodies at The Spot on Kirk, there is no doubt that Phat Anchovies is set on proving themselves to their audience. As a spectator, they have the talent, charm, and attitude to launch themselves on a trajectory of playing tours and gracing festival lineups in the near future. <>

Photo credit: Openhead Takes Photos