Letting go

The Becky Chace Band takes its best shot

by Bob Gulla

Becky Chace Band

Last weekend the Call saw Becky Chace and her band tear up the room but good. The occasion? A record release party for their new disc, Take Your Shot: the house was theirs for the night. Rather than 30 and out like too many local slots, Chace and company kicked it into gear in high concert style. "We did more of a concert than usual," says Chace, breathless from the memory. "We went out and did our show the way we wanted to see our band. Forget that it's in a nightclub. We did a set of electric tunes, broke down and did four acoustic songs, regrouped and did 10 more electric songs to get the crowd really going."

Rather than being background music for some uninterested drinking buddies, the BCB night at the Call was an upstart band's dream, and they took full advantage. Stretching out for two hours without a break, they dug into old favorites, unveiled new work, and trotted out some covers (Jefferson Airplane's"Somebody to Love," Springsteen's "Light of Day"). Chace and her band -- guitarist Brian Minisce, drummer Carrie Johnson, and bassist Lisa Annunziata -- treated their fans with enthusiastic performances and great entertainment. And the fans treated them back.

"It's the most important thing, to draw that energy from the crowd," says Chace. "It's a flow that occurs: we bounce it off them, and if they don't give it back, it's draining. If the crowd is into and they're responding, the excitement regenerates."

Another important facet of the band's performance is what Chace calls "stage presence." But how to capture that abstraction? "The key to stage presence is that first you play the song for years so you can play it in your sleep. Then you tell yourself to let go. I don't care if you look like an idiot, you gotta let go. You do what your impulses tell you. People respond to it when they see you letting go."

Early on,Chace and the band watched videos of themselves onstage and, frankly, were not particularly impressed. "We realized we just weren't moving around. It's when we saw ourselves that we made up our minds to let go a little more."

Letting go is easy when you have songs that you truly believe in. The latest Joan Osborne album, rejected by Mercury as not being radio-friendly enough and now released on Interscope, rings true because you can hear how much Osborne believes in it. Chace, with co-writers Minisce and Annunziata, write and perform soulful, heartfelt material, full of vivid imagery, empathic lyrics, and tough but understated playing. Songs like"Holy War," "St. Joan," and "Vamp" cross over and back between pop, folk and roots rock, finding lots of colorful terrain, while other songs like "My Heart" and "Gold" present more refined acoustic grooves.

"The record's a lot like we are live without all the stage presence," smiles Chace. "It's eclectic, but there's a thread through it, with some blues and country touches."

Recorded at Ivy lane Studios in Woonsocket with Larry Minnis at the controls, Take Your Shot was nine months in the making. "We had about 25 or 30 songs that we had been playing anywhere from six months to a year," Chace explains. "We made a tape of them and voted which ones we wanted recorded. We didn't know what the 10 would be until the last sessions."

After finishing the album, BCB took a step back, turned it up, and well, kinda liked what they heard. "When it's all done, you wonder if it's gonna hold up," says Chace. "But I was pleasantly surprised. I could actually hear it on the radio." When her friends heard a BCB tune on WHJY alongside multimillion dollar albums that customarily make it to commercial radio, those associates insisted that it held up. "My friends said it sounded like everything else they were playing, which is a pretty good compliment, I think."

Now, the BCB plans to build on its record release party momentum with some aggressive booking, even a national tour. They've retained the services of local legend Al Salzillo in helping usher in a new era for the band. "We'll probably play Providence a little less and make the times that we do play here bigger occasions," says Chace. "We know we can take the foundation we've already laid and make it stronger with a new record and, hopefully, new audiences."

WANDERING EYE. There's some serious rock and roll over at the Green Room on Friday. Headlining will be Boston's legendary Real Kids, who have enjoyed a resurgence of interest lately, helped in part by the reissue campaign headed by greasy rock imprint Norton. The band now consists of John Felice, Billy Cole, Howie Ferguson, and a new bass player. In true Green Room fashion, the gig will feature some bad local talent: the Fabulous Itchies hit the stage as do the Double Nuthins, with what they're calling their farewell performance. Hit the Green Room and learn the true meaning of rockin' and rollin'.

There will be a celebration of the life and music of guitarist Jeff Terra, who left us suddenly earlier this year, this Sunday from 2 to 9 p.m. at Chan's (267 Main Street, Woonsocket). The stars will be out to pay homage to Terra, including Young Neal, Dave Howard and the High Rollers, K.D. Bell, Professor Harp, the Mike Crandall Blues Band, the Jeff Terra Band, Treehouse Union, Mike Dinallo and Tim Taylor, Thom Enright, Stormin' Norman, and surprise guests. Tix are $15 and will in part benefit the Rhythm &Blues Foundation. Call 949-4528 for more information.

One of Dan Moretti's prime sax-driven outfits, the Psychic Horns, will come to roost at Chan's on Friday the 29th for their record release party. More on that disc to follow.