On Thursday night, Nashville band The Tips stopped through Swannanoa’s Beacon Pub and treated the small crowd of regulars there to a couple hours of raucous Detroit rock, rhythm and blues. They play again Saturday at Mo Daddy’s, a show surely worth checking out.
Three members of the four piece hail from Nashville, the fourth from Atlanta, and their set was peppered with country classics and reggae anthems. But the backbone of the show was made up of a mix of rock ‘n roll that sounded like the Rolling Stones if they got stranded in Motor City. Keyboardist Brent Sandel claimed to be puzzled by the comparison, but nonetheless spent the evening banging out the tell-tale sounds of a Fender Rhodes and a Hammond Organ.
The crew showed up in uniform: suits with fly collars and cocaine shades, and rounded out the songs with plenty of backup singing and herky-jerky enthusiasm by lead singer and guitarist Jon Marlow.
The Tips play Mo Daddy’s on Saturday at 9 p.m.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
