BWW Reviews: Amy Lynn & The Gunshow Tear the Roof Off 54 Below

The funk soul of Motown is being modernized and reshaped by big name acts like Bruno Mars and Fitz and The Tantrums; however, no one is doing it quite like Amy Lynn & The Gunshow. Strip away the frills of a large record label, throw in a ton of sass, mix with wit and charisma, and garnish with an explosive horn section. That is the recipe for Amy Lynn & The Gunshow's style, and it leaves a whole lotta shakin' goin' on!

To open the set, The Gunshow, made up of Brian Whitted on piano, Alex Hamlin on baritone saxophone, Jeff Hermanson on trumpet, Ed RosenBerg on tenor saxophone, Kevin Johnson on drums, and Ben Gallina on bass, warmed the venue with their infectiously fun funk vibe, playing a brief instrumental prelude to the rambunctious evening. Lynn took the stage with a vibrant and soulful tune entitled "Comin' Up Green," (Alexandra Forbes, Amy Lynn, Alex Hamlin) which featured Joey Khoury as a back-up. This was chased with a brilliant rendition of "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (George "Shadow" Morton), which showcased the mighty power of Lynn's impressive belt. With a delicious dose of cynicism and a tinge of vulnerability, Lynn let loose on "West Village Blues" (Joe Kinosian). Likewise, the indefatigable, brassy, and bold raw energy of The Gunshow made this number entertaining and unforgettable.

With some assistance from Susie Mosher, Lynn and the band brought the house down with their hysterical song "Jimmy," in which the songstress accidently friends someone on Facebook. With "When I Meet You Someday" (Joe Kinosian, Amy Lynn, Alex Hamlin), Lynn made me think she must have been raised on the chanteuses of 70s soul, disco, funk, and pop, putting her own spin on the vocal stylings of divas like Bette Midler and Gloria Gaynor. For a pair of special VIPs in the audience, Lynn delivered personalized versions of "Happy Birthday" (Patty Hill, Mildred J. Hill) before delving into a sweetly subdued and straightforward surprise rendition of "Your Song" (Elton John, Bernie Taupin), which was dedicated to her husband (Alex Hamlin) and ended with the announcement that she is pregnant.

The next tune, "Can't Put My Finger On It" (Alexandra Forbes, Amy Lynn, Alex Hamlin), opened with an impressive and funky bari sax solo featuring slap tongue thatearned thunderous applause and cheers. This was followed with a rousing spin on "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David). Cleverly biting lyrics, an incredible trumpet solo from Hermanson, and support from The Black-Ups-James Jackson and LaDonna Burns-ensured Lynn and the band tore the roof off of 54 Below with their catchy jam "Clearly It's Me" (Joe Kinosian, Anna Marquardt, Amy Lynn). The Black-Ups stayed with the band for "Queen of the Night" (Whitney Houston, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Daryl Simmons), delivering a feisty and fabulous version of the R&B hit.

Beginning to bring the show to a close, Lynn on vocals and Hamlin on bari sax set off fireworks with their take on "Fool For You" (Thomas Calloway, Melanie Fiona, Jack Splash), a soulful ballad made famous by Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona. This was followed with their sultry and catchy single "Don't Trip On the Glitter" (Amy Lynn & Alex Hamlin) and an exciting performance of "Night Time is the Right Time."

Throughout the performance, Amy Lynn's mesmerizing instrument is just as brassy as the horn section behind her, and she channels its power into an ardent belt that is masterfully controlled. She wails, riffs, and screlts with precision and artistic clarity, using these musical flourishes to empower her performance and heighten the depth of the emotions in the music and lyrics. In a world where pop divas are all autotuned and sound alike, she fills the void that the industrial corporate machine has left behind.

Just the right amount of attitude, endless energy, and musical talents that are too good to be true would make one think that Amy Lynn & The Gunshow are the kind of act that should be playing sold out stadiums all around the world, but you'll never hear anyone complain about sharing an intimate room like 54 Below with this raucous group. Throughout the evening multiple parties stood and danced to these songs. The joy for and celebration of incredible live music was apparent both on stage and off, making this one hell of a great show at 54 Below.

For more information about Amy Lynn & The Gunshow visit http://www.amylynnandthegunshow.com. Also, you can pre-order upcoming debut album Don't Trip On the Glitter from bandcamp and cdbaby.

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