Local Spotlight: Adam Ezra Group

This past Tuesday WERS teamed up with the Adam Ezra Group for their CD release party at the House of Blues. The group put on a heck of a show inside of The Foundation Room’s carpeted walls as they played tunes from their new album “View From The Root.” The show was a secret members only event, however we’re drawing back the curtain on the show with an exclusive video performance! Visit WERS.org to take a peek of the video and some photos from the event, and remember that we’ll be Welcoming them to the Paradise Rock Club Saturday, January 23rd.

- Kevin McCaul

Windmills Spin Songs Of Hope

Windmills rock Local Music Week, 2009. (Abby Okon/WERS)

By Paige Trubatch

During Windmills‘ performance at WERS for Local Music Week, a sense of camaraderie, humor, and honest uplifting music settled peacefully on-air. The “very gentle and sweet boys” (as guitarist and lead singer Nick Moreweicki jokingly referred to them) played a set of three songs.

“Pop Song” is an appropriate title for the opener with Moreweicki’s raw yet fluid vocals, gleeful demeanor and drums that seemed to push your upper body with the rhythm. Nate Babbs knows what he’s doing back there on the drums. His crisp, prominent playing was the highlight of the set.

Next came “The Good Man,” a song which Moreweicki describes as his most political song. What started out as a Biblical track, “The Good Man” (off of Leave You Go, Let Me Be) soon took on various influences, particularly war. The song features Babbs’ mesmerizing drumming along with Moreweicki on guitar and vocals, Eric Hillman on piano and Ken Woodward on the upright bass. “The Good Man” is simultaneously relaxed, energized and introspectively peaceful. Hopeful, too. It bumps at the end, sending the listener soaring.

Even without lyrics, the group’s optimism comes across, particularly through Babbs, whose drumming evokes a marching band. You can’t help but smile and let out a sigh of relief. Relief from what I’m not exactly sure. But it’s there, and you feel better.

Lastly, the band performed a new song called “Skipping Stone,” which starts slow, but quickly regains the momentum of the previous two tracks. Once again, the song was accented with Babbs’ cymbol twinkling and brushing technique, while Hillman provided similar piano effects.

Windmills admit that they do not get to play together often. It’s difficult to get the four friends together when they all live in different places (Moreweicki and Babbs are originally from Minneapolis). When they do get a chance to perform in Boston, they prefer to play at Lily Pad in Cambridge.