Review: GA-20 ‘Live In Loveland’

By Mike O’Cull

Minimalist blues/rock trio GA-20 flies high in front of a live crowd on their new release Live in Loveland.

The record drops on March 17th, 2023 via Karma Chief Records and presents GA-20 in the group’s natural habitat: on stage surrounded by pumped-up fans. Live in Loveland contains 11 blazing performances of five songs from 2022’s Crackdown, three from their 2019 debut Lonely Soul, and three previously unrecorded tracks. The album was recorded direct-to-tape on a vintage Tascam 388 at Plaid Room Records in Loveland, Ohio, home of the legendary Colemine record label.

Produced by band member Matthew Stubbs and engineered by Colemine owner Terry Cole, the set is a series of perfectly-captured moments that document GA-20’s amazing blend of hardcore blues, honky-tonk twang, and early rock and roll. Call their sound what you want because the folks present loved it and you will, too.

GA-20 have been at the vanguard of the growing traditional blues resurgence since first surfacing in 2018. Their bassist-free lineup of guitarists/vocalists Stubbs and Pat Faherty and drummer Tim Carman is a throwback to the beginnings of blues and rock music when excitement was more important than precision and they play with an abandon that isn’t encountered too often these days.

As Stubbs, a veteran of stints with Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton, explained, “There is a special type of energy that is exchanged when we play in front of a live audience, and we definitely feed off of that and wanted to capture that. I love the power and energy of the best live blues albums. Historically, some of the most iconic blues and jazz records have been live ones. B.B. King’s Live At The Regal changed my life. So did Hound Dog Taylor’s Beware Of The Dog!, and Albert King’s Live Wire/Blues Power. We really wanted to continue that tradition and do one of our own.”

The record opens with Harold Burrages’ “I Cry For You” followed by “My Baby’s Sweeter,” a Little Walter obscurity that’s moody and cool. GA-20 is absolutely in the zone as a unit from Jump Street and their vibe and authenticity are both undeniable. They sound like an old record brought to life and never indulge in the rock star antics of so many contemporary bands. It’s all about groove and attitude with this crew and they have it to spare. The vocals are emphatic, the guitars are dirty and soaked in reverb, and the magic of the old ways is invoked. You won’t even notice the lack of a bass player. These three are complete as they are.

“Lonely Soul” (Live)

 
“Lonely Soul” treads the line between hard blues and vintage rock, raising the tempo and intensity level. Drummer Tim Carman is especially mighty here, dealing out beats that teeter on the edge of chaos but always drive the band forward. This is that real roadhouse sound that lit the fuse to this thing of ours way back when and GA-20 not only proves that it’s still burning but that it’s as relevant as ever. People need loud music and a packed, sweaty dance floor to survive tough times and GA-20 is here to save us all by reminding us that the old ways will always matter.

The heavier, tom tom groove of “Double Gettin’ My Love” is a guaranteed rump-shaker with a dissonant main riff. The beauty of GA-20 bare-bones sound is in the spaces between the instruments. That space creates a huge sound that keeps each player well-defined in your headphones. This approach also works on the mellow, stroll-flavored “Just Because.”

GA-20 is perhaps the most vital young group to emerge in quite a while. They take American music back to its barroom roots, plug it into the wall socket, and let the fur fly. Live in Loveland is destined to become a timeless classic and will most likely make you want to start a band. Highly recommended.