Los Angeles’ Little Feat make the trek to Northampton this Friday, Oct.1, to perform their fusion rock for the Pioneer Valley. The band has been highly influential and essential to the blues and southern rock scenes since their formation in 1969.
Little Feat’s sound was shaped very distinctly by it’s era, but the music still is enjoyed today by a wide variety of fans, allowing them to continue to sell out shows worldwide.
Little Feat have their roots firmly placed in L.A., where they began in the late 60s. Early in their careers, the band was shot to fame and critical acclaim with the help of Frank Zappa, who often would use Little Feat guitarist Lowell George in his backing band, The Mothers of Invention.
Unfortunately, this didn’t translate into commercial success for the musicians, so the band split up soon after. However, in 1972, Little Feat reformed with a different lineup. Bassist Kenny Gradney replaced the band’s former member, Roy Estrada and the sound started leaning towards the umbrella of funk.
The major change in players shifted their sound dramatically, and their next album, 1973’s “Dixie Chicken” is still considered some of their best work.
Tragically, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George passed away in 1979, leaving the band once again at a crossroads. Various musicians have taken the place of George, and his current stand in is the highly talented Paul Barrere.
Most recently, the band lost another founding member, Richie Hayward, earlier this year to liver disease.
Despite it all, Little Feat soldiers on, creating new music and rocking old classics for diehard fans. And rock they do, continuing to sell out venues all over the world.
Though the band was founded in the 60s, many modern artists have drawn from the innovative stylings of Little Feat. They’ve been cited as influencing such legends as Phish, Phil Lesh, Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck, among dozens of others. In fact, their influence was so substantial that each of the bands listed have gone on to cover Little Feat originals, or even collaborated with the band itself.
Though Little Feat have lost several integral members over time, the spirit of the music remains the same. The band performs good, old-fashioned roots music, with the heart of southern rock. The rockers have a big history and an even bigger sound, which keeps listeners coming back for more after all these years.
The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. this Friday. Tickets are still available online for a limited time as well as at the door, and range from $27.50-$37.50.
Mike Selden can be reached at [email protected]. Angela Stasiowski can be reached at [email protected].
