Band Marino/ As Tall As Lions
Mike Dunn & The Kings of New England
Orlando, FL • Sept. 7, 2006
Jen Cray
Before the sun could even think about setting, the doors were opened for an early evening at Orlando’s BackBooth. Promoted as being headlined by Long Island’s soft Indie Rock crooners, As Tall As Lions , the bill was shuffled to allow Alt. Country talents, Band Marino to close the night.
Local good ol’ boy, Mike Dunn , with his band of ever changing members- The Kings of New England – warmed up the building crowd with Springsteen-esque folk rock. Alternating between an acoustic and his Telecaster, Dunn coerced the sleepy bunch closer to the corner stage and charmed them into grooving. Not only are his original tunes well penned, but to top it off Dunn is one of the nicest musicians you could hope to run into at the local pub!
Barefoot and quiet, As Tall As Lions set up and quickly the room is filled with the powerful soft-then-strong vocals of frontman Dan Nigro. A band that’s sneaking up on the heels of popularity, their Keane-meets-The-Police brand of music stand out in contrast to the night’s Americana mix. The ambience of ATAL transcends the smoke and the booze to form a layer of mellow around those who stand at attention before the stage. Touring behind their self-titled release, the melodic fivesome hold Orlando boys Band Marino in such high regard that guitarist Saen Fitzgerald tells me they considered it “a favor to be on the bill with Band Marino.”
And finally the boys with the fervent following cram themselves, and their many instruments, onto the small stage as the audience tightens. Teenage girls aligned the front and screamed in between doing little country folk dances with their boyfriends. Is it a rock show, or a hoedown? It’s a line that Band Marino happily toe, even inviting “anyone who wants to dance” onstage with them at one point. This band has a following, at least locally, and those folks want a full length release!
