Photos and words by Geoff Clowes
Heavy Pets Jam For A Cause
South Florida jam band The Heavy Pets played a jazz and funk filled show at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton, Florida on September 9th. The Fort Lauderdale band performed in front of a packed house to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society And Light The Night.
On this particular evening the setlist was heavy on bass driven funk laid down by Tony D’Amato. With a musical style that is beyond easy description, the songs featured a blend of funk, reggae and jazz that set a danceable groove for the evening. The playing was tight, with Jeff LLoyd and Mike Garulli handling the guitar and vocal duties, Jamie Newitt keeping the tempo on the drums, and Jim Wuest banging away on the keys as they worked their way through their catalog, drawing heavily from Strawberry Mansion, the band’s 2018 release. With one song segueing seamlessly into another it was easy to get lost in the extended jams as LLoyd and Garulli played off each other like Jerry and Bobby of years past.
For fans of jammy funk and reggae grooves the evening was a hit as the crowd was on their feet all night long. For The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society And Light The Night the evening was a chance to raise some awareness, raise some funds, and provide the hometown crowd with some much needed distraction, if at least for a few hours this night.
Setlist:
How would I
Shahryar’s Rage
Iceberg Blues *
Carry the Man
If You Want Me to Stay>
Help Me Help You**
Ramble on Rose
Coyotes
E: Jackie Bones
*- w. Jaden Lehman on Guitar
** – w. Rob Smiley on Sax
