by Russell Kahn
Since 1971, Max Creek has continued to change and develop their explosive
improvisational folk-rock to new and extraordinary levels. When Max Creek
took the stage at the Paradise last Thursday night, they did it with another major
change, with newcomer Scott Allshouse on drums.
Former drummer Greg Vasso left Max Creek in June to join Jiggle the
Handle, leaving the rest of the band to experiment with acoustic shows without a
drummer. Following this essential growing stage for Max Creek, several
drummers have been sitting in at shows, auditioning for the position. Allshouse
looks to be the favorite.
Vasso's unfortunate departure left fans wondering if, after a quarter of a
century, the band would finally call it quits. "Max Creek is something that will
never cease to exist," says guitarist/vocalist Scott Murawski, who joined in 1972
at the age of 15. "It's like the snowman that won't melt. You put so much snow
on the goddamn thing that it just won't go away." "I can't imagine it not
continuing," adds keyboardist/ vocalist Mark Mercier, 46.
Murawski, Mercier, and bassist/ vocalist John Rider form the Max Creek
frontline, and percussionist Rob Fried adds a thick, rich Latin beat to the rhythm
section, with whomever is drumming that particular night (Vasso was only with
Max Creek from 1991). It is the distinctive and harmonious playing styles of the
Murawski, Mercier, and Rider trio, tight from 24 years of playing together, that
generates the Max Creek magic.
Fittingly, the opener for Thursday night's show was "Harmony," a lively and
uplifting song, ideal for opening a performance. Mercier, Murawski, and Rider all
share singing duties, joining in on the chorus to form (what else?) a perfect
harmony. From the opening notes of the night's second song, "Blood Red
Roses," the scores of devoted "Creek Freaks" (many of whom travel to see every
show Creek plays) began to dance hysterically, setting the tone for an eruptive
first set.
"The Field," a Murawski original, opened the second set with a mystical,
expansive touch that lasted 25 minutes. Murawski describes "The Field" as one
of his favorite songs to perform because it "has a particular magical quality." His
extended vocals for the climax of the song demonstrate how talented a
singer/songwriter he truly is.
Critics of Max Creek complain that they lack originality, due to the fact that
more than half of a current Creek setlist are usually cover songs, ranging from
traditional folk songs to Grateful Dead songs. Frequent Dead covers in the past
have garnered Max Creek a reputation of being a Dead cover band, severely
limiting their potential for growth. "People like to say, 'They do a lot of Grateful
Dead' because they have no way of describing your original music," explains
Mercier. It should also be pointed out that the Grateful Dead, with "Not Fade
Away," "Morning Dew," or "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad," often filled half
of their shows with covers, as well. Covers are a method of expression, and Max
Creek cover songs are highly creative and innovative, affirming that they do, in
fact, possess original artistic talent, even through the domain of singing another
artist's song. It is in that sense that they are similar to The Grateful Dead.
Mercier demonstrated this, swinging out of "The Field," and into "Well
Alright," a cover song best known for Blind Faith's legendary rendition of it on
their self-titled album. Mercier has an extraordinary vocal range, and showed it
off with fiery intensity fueled by his visibly passionate love for music. Creek's
version of "Well Alright" lasted nearly 15 minutes, over three times longer than
the album version on Blind Faith. Clapton himself would have been proud.
Following in the rotation, Rider took the next song, "Dark Water." If there is
a weak link in Max Creek, it would be with Rider. Murawski and Mercier have
fierce, strong voices that can carry you away and Rider disappointedly doesn't.
"Dark Water" is still an excellent song, but Rider simply cannot bring a song to
climax the way Mercier or Murawski can. Rider is the founding member of the
band (he was born and raised in Max Creek, Virginia) and his presence in the
band is crucial, but some of his slower songs like "Devil's Heart," played towards
the end of the second set, can inhibit the energy flow. If for nothing else, it
provided a much needed break for the finale of the performance.
"Henry" segued perfectly into "Back Porch Boogie," an instrumental
masterpiece, for the encore of the event. "Back Porch Boogie" features ferocious
beats and rhythms that force you to jump up and dance as if the energy radiated
off stage was literally lifting you into the air. This song, with its accelerated
tempo and transcendental guitar riffs, squeezes the last ounce of energy you have
for the night, leaving you ready to collapse by the end. A perfect close to a
perfect night.
In regard to Max Creek's recent transformation, Mercier says, "You have to
adapt. There isn't anything that stays static, and that's one thing we're finding out.
It just keeps on going. But as long as the creativity is there, things are fresh, and
you still love playing music and people still love hearing it, then the magic
remains."