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The Blue Method

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Hometown	Trenton, NJ
Genres
Band Members	Brian Williams,lead vox/trumpet/tromboneTom Long, ... » more
Achievements	» more
Upcoming Shows	None

Contact Information:
# Years Experience Performing Live:	9
Market Draw:	Home Market: 151-200
Performing Rights Society:	N/A

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About the Artist

The Blue Method experience is like none other in independent music today. With years of travelling and 2 studio albums already under their belts, the new album Volume LIVE proves The Method to be much more than your average funk band. By combining their...

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Music

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Thank You for Wearing Those Hotpants!

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Get Back Home (The Bounce)

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The Big Payback (James Brown)

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Get Back Home(The Bounce)

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Achievements

Top 10 in Soul, October 2012

Top 10 in Southern Rock, May 2012

Funk Winner, October 2011

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Press Coverage

Blue Method brings ‘power soul’ to Warmdaddy’s by Jennifer Lawson
Blue Method brought together blues, funk, rock and jazz with a touch of hip-hop creating a genre they call “power soul” to Warmdaddy’s in South Philadelphia recently. The hard-driving beat of the band’s most successful song, “Don’t They,” (holds the record as the all-time time No. 1 funk song on Garageband.com) brought the audience from South and West Philadelphia, to its feet. Sheryl Brown of West Philadelphia threw her napkin on the table and grabbed her mother Patricia’s arm when she heard to opening notes of the song. Together they danced to the rhythm, singing along with Williams’ wailing, roaring voice. “We try to see them whenever we can,” said Brown, who has been a Blue Method fan for about a year. “We have both of their CDs and we listen to them when we’re happy, we listen to them when we’re sad. They just hit the spot no matter what kind of mood you’re in.” Standing onstage in a glittery black calf-length shirt was The Blue Method’s vocalist Brian Williams. “Play it, Tom, something funky for the people!” Williams shouted, and the South Philadelphia audience echoed him. Williams’ voice was strong and versatile, displaying hints of James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder. On cue, saxophonist Tom Long launched into a rollicking solo that filled the dimly lit Warmdaddy’s dining venue on Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Other band members were Mike Patriarca on guitar, Rah M. Sungee on bass, and Jeff Turner on drums. The group’s long-time drummer Theron Shelton died suddenly earlier this year, leaving a void in the hearts of the band members and in the lineup. Substitute drummers have been filling in until they find a permanent replacement. The roots of the band also stem from tragedy. Founding members Patriarca and Long formed The Blue Method in 2001 after the lead singer of their former band died. Despite their losses, the band had unflagging energy and a fun spirit at their two-night stand at Warmdaddy’s. Their sets were a mix of originals and covers, plus some tight jamming that had audience members nodding their heads, tapping their feet and clapping their hands. However, the tunes that drew the biggest response from the South Philadelphia crowd were the band’s interpretations of hits by recording artists like Parliament Funkadelic, Al Green, Sly and the Family Stone and Neil Young. “I … I’m so in love with you,” Williams crooned on Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” This incited audience members and even Warmdaddy’s waiters to clap. The band also showed its soft side on their renditions of Earl Hooker’s “Sweet Angel” and Sly and The Family Stone’s “If You Want Me to Stay.” Louise Denny of South Philadelphia made her way from her table near the stage to the exit, she paused to dance even though while carrying the box of dinner leftovers. She said this was the first time she heard The Blue Method, and she knew it wouldn’t be her last. “I don’t know why they aren’t all over the radio, with the way they sound,” she said. “They really have something special going on. They really do.”

KTM Vol.2 review by Hal Horowitz by All Music Guide
This Philadelphia quartet brings the soul, funk, and jazz in equal measures on its sophomore release. Influenced by the tough vibe of Sly Stone, Rick James, Prince, James Brown, and '70s R&B, the band isn't creating anything particularly innovative, yet what it does, it does extremely well. Singer Brian Williams guides the group through singalong choruses with powerful pipes, sometimes shifting into falsetto mode. But reed player Tom Long seems to be the band's de facto leader, and producer Scott Stallone, who also contributes keyboards, pushes all the right buttons. Despite the band's moniker, there aren't any blues here. Instead, there is plenty of riff-happy, party-styled funk-jazz. The playing is taut and tightly wound with ample detours and overdubs to keep it interesting. The innovative arrangements occasionally bring songs to a dead stop, only to crash back into the track's main lick, as they do in "Shine." Parts of "Think a Minute" recall Steely Dan, but as a whole, the sound is more soul than jazz. Most of the material runs over four minutes, yet nothing is extended unnecessarily and some of the shorter tunes even seem like they end too soon. The instrumental "Rosa Lane" brings a Crusaders vibe and the flute and wah-wah guitar on the intro to "In the Running" sound like an Isaac Hayes outtake from Shaft. The breakneck pace of "Let Me See You" ignites a wild groove that twists and turns in so many directions, it could be considered prog funk. The recording's full sound is attributable in part to its deep, thumping bass that makes songs jump out of the speakers, turning any room into a dancefloor. This is a real find, especially for those into the heavy funk-soul-jazz acts of the '70s. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide

The Blue Method :: 12.13.08 :: Zeno's Pub :: State by Adam Eshleman
Your typical bar band is, at best, a cheap mode of late night entertainment. With repertoires of songs worn out by years - or perhaps decades - of continual radio rotation, they're likely to leave you feeling like you've heard Nirvana or Tom Petty more times than can be considered healthy. Often they're better than nothing, but only rarely will a bar band leave you with something to write home about. That said, The Blue Method is not your typical bar band. So check your preconceptions at the door, because this Philadelphia-based five-piece will surely give you plenty of fodder for that letter to mom. They describe their genre as "power soul," and true to that description they offer an enticing conglomerate of unflagging funk, biting blues, sonorous soul and good ol' fashion rock 'n' roll. Outfitted with horns, an uncommonly potent vocalist and a grove tighter than the stubborn lid of a pickle jar, The Blue Method delivers a fan-funking-tastic performance. A humble $5 cover granted access to an all-out frenzy of funk at Zeno's Pub, a tiny venue that could hardly contain The Blue Method's feel good energy. Built in a small, low-ceilinged basement, Zeno's has great acoustics. So great in fact, The Blue Method recorded a live album here last summer. Over the past few years, they've garnered a vivacious following here in Pennsylvania's largest college town, and it seemed every last one of them packed into the bar for this performance, making the evening a lively - albeit sweaty and crowded - affair. After a simple drumstick four-count, The Blue Method plunged full-force into a decidedly funky interpretation of Hendrix's "The Power of Soul." While lead guitarist Mike Patriarca couldn't replicate Jimi's guitar work exactly, he scorched the fretboard with a style all his own. And once Brian Williams spread his monitor-overdriving vocals atop the granite-solid foundation provided by the rest of the band, all discrepancies were easily forgiven. Next up was James Brown's "Hot Pants." They played this funk standard so well, so incredibly tight, The Godfather himself would be proud to know his music was in the hands of such capable stewards. For this tune, Williams and rhythm guitarist Tom Long picked up the horns, and The Blue Method unleashed their full fury. There's no garnish more musically delicious than some crisp horn work, and when the explosive timbre of harmonized sax and trumpet sang through the air, I swear my mouth watered. It's hard to tell whether Williams squeezed more soul juice from his trumpet or from his voice. But either way, his towering presence filled the room, vibrating beer glasses in the farthest corners. They followed up with an original, "Other Family," a feel-good track that speaks to their songwriting potential. A major highlight of the first set was an extended and soulful rendition of Neil Young's "Down By the River." This was a very well chosen song, both for Williams' drilling vocals and the fact that it had everyone in the place singing. What was particularly notable about this one was a crafty instrumental invocation of Pink Floyd's "Breathe" – a "Breathe" tease, if you will - in the tails of the song. This was no Floydian slip. The haunting guitar melody and spacey open chords were unmistakable, fooling some audience members (myself included) into singing the opening lines of "Breathe." I'd estimate each of their songs to have been in excess of 10 minutes in length, so I guess you'd toss "jam band" into The Blue Method's mash-up of styles, though none of their jams felt protracted or repetitive. They always found a way to keep them fresh, whether through audience call-and-response, snappy horns or solid riff progressions. Also, Long's soaring sax solos kept things interesting. I'd say this is one of the more enjoyable facets of The Blue Method's sound. The guy can play with a virtuoso's command. Early on, I felt the phenomenal synergy between bassist Rah Sungee and drummer Theron Shelton. The two are so keyed into each other, so firmly locked into the same groove, you'd need a crowbar to pry them apart. So, during the second set, when they played an incredible drum and bass duet, things got crazy. Like I said, the two are bolted together, and when it's their time to shine, they shine like a binary star, the light of each fusing to form one brilliant, white-hot beacon of beat. Later in the set, we got a comprehensive lesson in interplanetary funksmanship by way of a hopping cover of Parliament's "Star Child." Also worth noting was "Fool for Your Love," a bluesy classic featuring the mean six-string soul of Patriarca's guitar work. Williams' vocals for this song were flooring as well. They resonated somewhere deep within my soul, drawing up chills and goose bumps. Last, but miles from least, they capped off the night with a rousing version of Floyd's "Have a Cigar," leaving all in attendance begging for more. By this time the floor was sticky with a night's worth of spilled booze. Even so, not a single foot was stuck, at any point, to the tiles. People shimmied and jived with a lightness of spirit, under the irresistible influence of this wonderful band. I don't like to classify The Blue Method as a mere bar band. The association is degrading. But at the same time, that's what they are: a band that plays a lot of covers in mostly small bars. Sure, they have two albums of original material, and yes, they do make it out to some notable festivals and larger venues; but really, I can't imagine a more perfect venue for this band. They truly thrive in intimate settings, where every spot is close and no fan is out of reach. And should they ever graduate to larger venues, Philly's best-kept musical secret would be lost.

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Stage Specs

Technical Requirements

Mike: 1 Fender Blues Deluxe 1x12 amp, miked by 1 Shure SM57 mic

Tom: 1 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp, miked by 1 Shure SM57 mic, 1 Shure Beta 58 or Shure SM58 Vocal Mic, 1 Mono direct box

Rah: 1 Ampeg SVT-3 Pro Bass head, 1 Ampeg 410HLF Cabinet, 1 direct line from SVT-3 or 1 Mono direct box, 1 Shure Beta 58 or 1 Electro Voice EV-727 Vocal Mic.

Brian: 1 Shure SM57 instrument mic, 1 Shure SM58 Vocal Mic

Drummer brings set unless there's a backline in which case he'll bring snare and hardware.

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The Blue Method

About the Artist

Music

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Achievements

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