Review: JARED CHINNOCK & EVAN BUCKLEY HARRIS: OLD SOULS Strikes Just the Right Chord at Don't Tell Mama

I'm not exactly sure how to feel when a group does a show called OLD SOULS and all the music in the show was popular when I was growing up. I'm not sure if I should feel bad that I'm officially old, or feel good because young people think I have good taste musically. That was my not-so-serious conundrum tonight as I watched Jared Chinnock and Evan Buckley Harris sing some amazing songs at Don't Tell Mama. Their show, OLD SOULS was subtitled A Tribute to Rock & Roll, although with the exception of a couple of Johnny Cash songs, the musical menu was firmly rooted in the early '80s.

Chinnock and Harris are a study in contrasts. Jared Chinnock is a small, wiry, blond, tenor, guitar player with a Welsh accent. His style is percussive and dramatic. Evan Buckley Harris is a tall, dark-haired, baritone pianist. His style is more lyrical and laid-back. But for all their differences, their voices blend beautifully. It was a pleasure to hear them harmonize. They also clearly enjoy playing together. Their onstage chemistry is very fraternal.

They started the night with a mashup of Iggy Pop's "Real Wild Child" and the Jerry Lee Lewis' classic, "Great Balls of Fire." You knew it was going to be an evening of power rocking. They next gave us two hits from Huey Lewis and the News. First "Doing It All for You, Baby" and then "Power of Love," which Jared Chinnock did as an acoustic solo. It was a clever arrangement that sounded a lot more like Neil Young than Huey Lewis. It was a great take on a familiar tune.

The duo gave us a pair of songs by Hall & Oates. First "She's Gone" then one of their big hits, "You Make My Dreams Come True." They then turned to one of the best ballads from the '80s in my opinion, Extreme's "More Than Words." They paired this up with the great Elton John, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.

Evan Buckley Harris is a veteran of several productions of Million Dollar Quartet. He channeled Johnny Cash quite well as the two sang "Big River" and "Folsom Prison Blues." This was sandwiched between two great numbers by The Eagles, "New Kid In Town" and "Desperado." They did a terrific rendition of Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home" and gave us one of the few non-'80s songs in the evening with the Foo Fighter's, "Learn to Fly."

They saved the best for last when Jared Chinnock summoned his inner Steven Tyler for "Dream On." The audience was waiting for those really high notes and Chinnock totally delivered on them. For the end of their show, they gave us a very sweet and tender version of the Journey classic "Forever Yours, Faithfully. "

Chinnock & Harris are a great act. They have great taste in music and both are very talented musicians in addition to being great singers. If I could offer one small suggestion, the difference in their styles led to some inconsistency in phrasing that they hadn't quite worked out in tandem. But that's a small matter. I can't wait to hear them when they've been singing together a little longer. The blend of their vocal instruments is really quite remarkable. Mention should also be made of their great drummer, Elena Bonomo. Don't Tell Mama is a tricky room for drummers and she found the perfect balance. Jared Chinnock and Evan Buckley Harris are old souls indeed. They did the music of my youth proud.

Chinnock & Harris perform again Friday, August 20 at Don't Tell Mama. For tickets, go to donttellmamanyc.com. For more information about Jared Chinnock and Evan Buckley Harris, follow them at @ChinnockJared and @ebharris6 on Twitter or @jaredchinnock and @evanbharrisnyc on Instagram.

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