BIG TOE

BIG TOE are playing at Stillwell Brewing Company on Thursday, October 15. They're a tribute to the Lowell George era of Little Feat, so the whole set is built around the sound George brought to the band before he left in 1975.

If you're not familiar with that particular slice of Little Feat, it's the period when the band was leaning into a loose, funky blend of rock, R&B, and New Orleans second-line. Lowell George was the frontman and slide guitarist, and his style—that slippery, singing slide sound—is exactly what BIG TOE is aiming for. It's the kind of music that works as well in a brewery as it does on a record.

The line-up for the night is a full six-piece, which is what you need to get that sound right. Tom Lubelczyk is on bass, Mike Church on keys, and Gabe Navarre on rhythm guitar and vocals. Jay Kelley takes the slide guitar and vocals, and Peter Wise is on percussion and vocals, with Joe Robillard on drums. Having three people on vocals helps fill out the harmonies, and the percussion adds that syncopated, swampy feel that defined the George era.

It's a Thursday night gig at Stillwell, so it's a mid-week one rather than a weekend outing. If you've got a thing for slide guitar and that particular brand of funky American rock, it's a good one to keep on your radar. The show is on Thursday, October 15, at Stillwell Brewing Company in Halifax.