Drugdealer’s magic enchants San Luis Obispo
Presented by (((folkYEAH!))), Drugdealer’s April 12 stop in San Luis Obispo felt less like a typical tour date and more like a party where everyone just happened to be exceptionally talented.
Fresh off a performance in Pioneertown, California and only on the second stop of a two-month U.S. tour, the group arrived loose and playful. The night unfolded with swaying singalongs, brand-new songs straight from the green room and a good old-fashioned good time. A rotating cast of musicians blurred the line between opener and headliner, their undeniable chemistry pulling the audience into the fun
At 7 p.m., people started trickling into SLO Brew as a disco ball scattered the last of the Central Coast sunshine across the walls. An eager crowd waited in blue and red lights until Hunter Watts and his band took the stage, immediately transporting the room into a hazy, 1970s-inspired world of country-tinged rock. Their set felt beautifully nostalgic and their presence was refreshingly unserious and fun.
Opening with “Gone Gone Gone,” they moved between originals, a few covers and spontaneous jam sessions, with Watts laughing into the mic at one point: “Sorry, we’ve been drinking all day.”
Their set also introduced the recurring theme of the night: collaboration. Musicians drifted on and off stage, including guitarist Mikey Long who would go on to shred in every set of the evening.
Next came Josh Da Costa’s three-piece band, shifting the tone into more of an ‘80s rock haze with a few moments of Jim Morrison-esque spoken word woven in.
“After that old-time rock and roll,” Da Costa joked, “this is bad-time rock and roll.”
The crowd leaned in for their mostly unreleased set, especially during track “96 Year Old Girl” which is set to come out with his upcoming album.
By the time Michael Collins, the mastermind behind Drugdealer, finally took the stage, it felt like the culmination of an ongoing jam rather than a formal headlining set.
Seated at his keyboard and surrounded by his band, Collins opened by playing “The End Of Comedy,” the title track from his first album. Immediately his style of soft-rock, psychedelia and dry-humor was established. He joked about how he’d be sticking to “straight-edge, traditional music,” a clear wink at the night’s unorthodox nature.
Between songs, Collins told the story of discovering the tour’s vocalist, Robbie Chemical, after hearing him sing drunken karaoke while the two worked at a record label together, Chemical as a sound engineer. Now, on his first tour, Chemical’s effortless voice carried songs like “Wild Motion,” with the crowd singing along.
The set moved between fan favorites like “Pictures of You” and “Honey,” brand-new material and constant entertaining banter. Then the energy completely softened as Collins and Chemical performed a song they’d just written two days prior. With just two guitars, tight harmonies and communication through eye contact, they created a sure highlight of the night.
In the wings, you could see members of previous bands dancing side stage, eventually rejoining the performance. Hunter Watt’s guitarist Will Worden stepped back in to harmonize on “Madison,” proving the multi-talentedness of everyone there.
Then Collins asked the audience if we were ready for the “fake last song.” He stepped off stage into the crowd, filming on his iPhone from the audience as Hunter Watts returned to the stage to debut another unreleased track. When the band finally did leave, the audience played along, chanting for an encore they knew was coming.
They returned, closing with “Suddenly” as the room danced and sang, stretching the night just a little bit longer.
At SLO Brew Rock, Drugdealer solidified the magic of live music. Listening to music is one thing, but watching it be created in real time with added inside jokes and intimate moments is a whole other experience. After thanking his San Luis Obispo fans for being the best crowd, Collins sent everyone dancing out into the night.
