The wooden floor of The Olympic Venue in downtown Boise, Idaho has witnessed its fair share of rock, country, singer/songwriter, and energy. But on the evening of June 29, 2017 it witnessed something we can confidently say, has never been seen at this venue.
For that matter, how many people can say they’ve ever witnessed a grown man stick the full head of a microphone in his mouth while continuing to sing through grunts?
Beginning the night with an assembly of what can only be described as Lounge Stoner Jazz, Foul Weather brought an instrumental approach to the evening that was captivating, but didn’t seem to match the energy levels anticipated by the crowd. Their drawn instrumental sound reflects what one would expect to find in long funk-laden songs rooted in lost Ray Manzarek nights toying at the keys. It draws you in and certainly holds the power to create something memorable. It just didn’t exactly prepare those in attendance for what they were about to witness.
Donning the much anticipated shorts and suit jacket Nic Offer stepped on to the stage and from that moment on, until the mass of thoroughly dance riddled bodies would file down the stairs and spill out onto the sidewalk, the energy level was as infectious as it was memorable. Bodies would bounce to the funk-filled dance, punk-revival styling that has made !!! (chk chk chk) a beacon for a guaranteed set of pure entertainment bliss. Words cannot properly express the amplitude of infectious sound that culminates from Mario Andreoni, Dan Gorman, Paul Quattrone, and Rafael Cohen. Toss into the mix a fronting vocal duo that plays incredibly well to (and in) the crowd and you quickly realize that a ticket to !!! is a ticket to the best entertainment you can spend your hard-earned money on; pound-for-pound.
Seemingly conjuring a mythical geyser of energy, !!! kept pace while continuing to raise the bar song after song. Explosions of dynamic communal embrace transitioned into instrumental breakdowns before launching all those in attendance into the stratosphere of safe, wildly entertaining, and undoubtedly enjoyable music that will be remembered for a lifetime. !!! is the live band you need to see.