Ever since he found out that Ceschi Ramos’ brother and his partner Lizzie were expecting their first child, local musician José Oyola and Ramos had a bet: the baby would be born on Nov. 7, as Oyola and his band of hometown heroes launched their sophomore album, Hologram, at College Street Music Hall. It wasn’t likely, Oyola joked, but it could happen.
So when Ramos texted him Friday to tell him that Lizzie had gone into labor and would probably give birth just as he stepped up to the mic Saturday night, bright, smoky shafts of light falling over his face, something felt perfect about it.
Lucy Gellman Photos
”It just feels right that we’re all here, together, as this new life is being born,” he said Saturday night from the Music Hall’s stage, addressing an audience of close to 600 who had packed in for the launch. The whole crowd, it seemed, smiled back.
Joined by his quirky and talented crew of Astronauts — Carrie Martinelli on keys and sampler; Hannah Proch and Fernando Ferrer on vocals; Brian Antonucci on guitar; Mike Marsters of Funky Dawgz Brass Band on trombone; Tim Kane on trumpet; Tony Molina on bass; Frederic Kaeser on drums; Dylan McDonnell on flute; and Marcos Torres on percussion — and a stunning lineup of acts, he took the venue by storm, delivering one of the most spectacular, make-you-feel-warm-all-over aural lovefests New Haven has seen this year.
The deliciousness started with If Jesus Had Machine Guns, whose Jimi Patterson jumped from the stage and over the photo pit into the crowd to jam with the audience while Jay Sirianni, Chris Serapiglia, Jay Bates, Katelyn Marshall, and Jon Watanabe held it down on stage.
It continued with a spot-on, super-tight and emotion-filled performance by Ceschi, whose set had audience members coming in as close to the stage as possible, swinging their arms wildly as he dedicated “Bite Through Stone” to his brother, brother’s girlfriend, and new niece.
The infectiously danceable Hartford Hot Several‘s rendition of “No Diggity” led to a dance-off between local filmmaker Travis Carbonella and this guy:
Frank Viele, whose proclamation that “sometimes it takes a special vision of someone like José to bring it all together,” rang true as he added a country/alt-rock bridge to a night that had already offered funk, hip-hop, rap, and indie rock:
And then, of course, the act everybody had come to see. Oyola’s mission to give back to the communities that raised him — New Haven and Hartford, American and Puerto Rican, young and old — was in full force from his first number to his last. Starting with the simple, totally genuine refrain “I feel so much better / now that you’re here,” he turned the hall into a magic-kissed, profoundly joyful space, reaching out to hold audience members‘ hands as he spoke about his late grandfather, a deep musical influence on his life …
… bringing on members of Alisa’s House of Salsa and the Hillhouse marching band on stage for certain numbers, where the latter performed to a crowd chanting “Hillhouse! Hillhouse! Hillhouse!”
… paying homage to his roots with a mid-show set in Spanish, and a particularly strong performance of “Llevame” …
… and serenading his mother, who he credited with getting him to this point in his career, in a performance of “Struve (Born In The City)” that ensured nary a dry eye in the audience.
All of which made for not only one of the best shows the hall has seen yet (it is not easy to blow Modest Mouse out of the water, and this lineup did, easily), but for a show — the first of its kind at this venue, excepting maybe Mighty Purple earlier this year — that so unabashedly and thoroughly celebrated New Haven past, present, and future. If you looked to stage right, you’d see members of Bethel AME Choir. Left, and members of the Crossroads Collective appeared. Smack dab in the middle of the front row, pressed up to the photo fence, Oyola’s cousin Victor, screaming his nickname above the crowd’s cheers. All around, music and music and music, flowing like a sweet, medicinal local honey.
After the show, Oyola told the Independent that he’d gotten that kind of boost from the audience, too.
“It reminded me how awesome music can be,” he said.
Congratulations to Jose and all of the musicians/performers that might Saturday Nite happen.
This turned out to be the most well-attended local show in the last quarter century.
Nice Work!!!