Review: Tony Low’s powerpop Christmas show

When I’d first moved to North Carolina from the NYC area, I worried about missing the things I loved most, namely the clubs. You could often find me at Maxwell’s on a Saturday night. Nothing can beat jamming into a cramped Court Tavern or Tramps to see the Beat Farmers or Jerry Lee Lewis. Now they’re all gone and, of course, so am I.

Winston Salem’s The Garage became my refuge and the first time I walked in, I heard an old friend. I didn’t actually know Tony Low but I knew his band, The Cheepskates, and his voice brought an immediate familiarity – just what I needed at just the right time.

This weekend Tony was scheduled to appear in my neck of the woods and having heard his most recent EP and enjoyed it, I made it a point to get out to see and hear his acoustic Christmas show. By all appearances, the packed coffee shop enjoyed the show as much as I.

Low played about a 40 minute set starting off with some originals, most notably “Bass Guitar” from Tone-wah, his most recent EP. After several more well executed originals, he payed tribute to the holiday season by launching onto some familiar Christmas carols as well as some covers that were of no relevance to the evening other than the fact that they were just plain fun to listen to. Selections went from Christmas faves like “Holly Jolly Christmas” to Simon and Garfunkel’s “I Am A Rock”. Tony even gave old fans a treat by playing an old Cheepskates song as well as his own Christmas original, “Merry Christmas, You’re the One I Love”. The latter is available as a free download on his Reverb Nation page.

I don’t know how many of these shows Low will do between now and New Years but, if you happen to discover that he’s playing a holiday show in your neck of the woods, I would recommend you stop in and see him. It was laid back, classic holiday fun with a laid back, classic powerpop veteran.

Just what I needed at just the right time.