Strutman Lane Beats The Snow – By Brian Lucy

March 2nd, 2025 | Performance Review

Genre: Soul Pop

 

Concert Date: Feb 8th, 2025 – The Middle East Upstairs

 

Feb 8th, 2025 – Strutman Lane (and their openers) brought warmth to one of the most blustery nights of the year so far. When I first heard about this group, I was eager to see who was behind such a smooth and catchy title – the young band, based out of DC, is just that. I finally got a chance to see them on their last stop of their “Down the Lane” tour in Cambridge at the Middle East Upstairs and was pleasantly surprised.

Despite my sister’s recommendation, I decided to arrive before the openers began their sets. The venue was particularly difficult to find since there were multiple performance areas so better signage would’ve been much appreciated for first timers. The major disadvantage to my decision was that the venue was standing-room-only and quite warm since there wasn’t a place to leave my coat, hat, and mittens. BUT… I strategized and found a nice spot under one of two ceiling fans. I was quite comfortable. Additionally, it was right in front of the mix which led me to believe I would get to experience the best sound possible.

 

Alexus Lee opened the concert and really got the crowd dancing! Her vocal range was impeccably wide and adventurous. Her band backed her with confidence and artistic passion, especially with such tasteful riffs on keys. Of special note was how effortless she played out her set. Once the crowd gave their last encore, her band segued the crowd into the next opener.

 

Following Lee was Boston Indie singer, Jill McCracken. McCracken’s energy and message were down to earth and you could feel her words really resonating with the room. Highlights for me were the bass lines in Running Away From Love and my personal favorite, Shake Me Up, which featured a tempo change midway through the piece, turning the room into a hall suited for barn dances. Yet, at this point in the night the speakers were quite loud and took away from her intricate musical ideas. Nonetheless, McCracken’s set was filled with impactful messages and vibrant musical ideas that made it quite enjoyable.

After a break, members of Strutmen Lane meandered onto the stage and then proceeded to wow the audience with their first selection Lavender Haze. It was worth the wait! The technically-adventurous horn lines and percussive embellishments as well as the group’s bright harmonies were the pinnacle of the night for me. At one point in the show, the trumpeter even pulled out what looked like a computer keyboard, but in an instant the crowd recognized it as an electronic trumpet. I was initially concerned that the group would lose their electronic sound during live performances when compared to their Spotify releases. However, the use of synthesizers helped maintain much of that electric feel, allowing the modern soul of the group to truly shine. Further, the group worked the crowd like pros – their synchronized dancing steered the whole room!

Strutman Lane is a group I could see really appealing to younger audiences, so it was no surprise that most of the audience was in their twenties. The bold horn lines combined with the rich harmonies and rhythms of the group reminded me of a band playing in a waterfront concert series at a popular summer beach. Ironically, when we shuffled back onto the streets, our footsteps were traced by snow. While I might have preferred a different venue with a bit more elbow room, I know this truly won’t be their ‘last stop’ and can’t wait to catch them on their next tour.

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