Civilized Natives Crush It At Blues On The Bay
At a recent Blues On The Bay, our man about town Richard 'The Beatman' NaVarre recaps Civilized Natives electric performance.
You couldn't have asked for a better day! The Maritime Park amphitheater was soon to experience an evening of seriously entertaining music. A local band by the name of Civilized Natives runs sound check as the crowd gathers on the hillside.
The sun was shining brightly in Pensacola, the temp was an even 79 degrees, the hillside grass was green, and the crowd arrived anticipating an evening of entertainment. Blues On The Bay, an event sponsored by Blues Angel Music is about to begin. Sound check ends and a drum circle ensues. Audience participation was light, but those that participated appeared to have a good time.
Civilized Natives took the stage shortly thereafter and that's when the magic began. From the start I could tell we were in for a great show as the Natives displayed their talent and why they've been playing the Pensacola music scene for almost 30 years! I was impressed with "We Belong Together", the fourth number on their set list. The two guitars, two keyboardists, drums, percussion and bass were all in sync… we were on our way!
They segued into "Go Your Own Way" and proved that their harmonies were something very special… this band can sing! Glenn had a technical issue with his guitar during his solo but recovered like a true, seasoned professional. The song ended with a roaring applause from the crowd that had grown to cover most of the hillside seating area. The four-part harmonies on "Southern Cross" were simply outstanding! Blew me and the crowd away with how clean, tight and together they sounded.
Next, the band performed a medley by The Who that brought many to their feet, several approached the stage to dance.The first set ended with something rarely seen or heard around the Pensacola and Emerald coast area… as a matter of fact, I've not heard anyone perform ANY version of "Meatballs, Paradise By The Dashboard Lights"! Wow, did the crowd go nuts over this one! Therese and Glenn Vignolo came down in front of the stage to rip their rendition of this timeless, and may I say extremely difficult piece to perform. The stops, pauses, time changes and not to mention the outstanding vocal prowess of these two consummate entertainers showed the audience that we mean business here in Pensacola! Backed by an outstanding group of musicians which kept the engine rolling all the way through, Paradise drew huge praise from the audience… I was impressed.
Eric Clapton’s “Layla" kicked off set two. Harmonies were electric with two reprises! An original song by the Natives ”Barbara Miller" took a lot of folks by surprise as the Natives proved they know how to write, and perform original music. Everyone loved it! By this time, everyone, myself included, were totally into a night of high quality entertainment that at times took the audience back a few years and lifted us all off our seats. People were dancing, taking pictures and video and when "White Rabbit" hit our ears I thought I was at Woodstock!
Just when we thought the performance couldn't get much better, we were treated to an outstanding surprise performance of "Be My Little Baby" by the youngest member of The Natives, Miss Isabella Vignolo. She's been singing this song since she was 6, now 12, Isabella proved her professional vocal talents. I think you'll be hearing more about her in the future.
The Beatman highly recommends you experience CIVILIZED NATIVES when, and where ever you can… you won't be disappointed!
CiViLiZED NATiVES ARE:
Glenn Vignolo - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Therese Vignolo - Lead/Backing Vocals, Percussion
Jack Grimley - Keyboards, Guitar, Lead/Backing Vocals
Justin DeAnglis - Bass Guitar
Kevin Langan - Drums, Vocals, Percussion
Jeff Gardner - Keyboards, Vocals
Angelina Vignolo - Percussion, Vocals
To learn more about CiViLiZED NATiVES, check them out in our Band Directory at the link below:
Moth Edge