Crazy Rhythms: The Feelies rock Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City

Last night, I had the honor to watch The Feelies in the heart of Atlantic City at Anchor rock club. The Feelies are an American rock band formed in Haledon, New Jersey located in Passaic county in 1976. In the late 70s, the new wave/punk movement was about to explode in New York City with bands like The Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith and Television. The Feelies were in good company. Founding members Glenn Mercer and Bill Million started playing together in a band called The Outkids. They would later be joined by then drummer Dave Weckerman. That same year, they met Keith Clayton (bass) and Vinnie Denunzio (drums). Bill changed to rhythm guitar and Dave went to drums and The Feelies were born. In 1978, drummers changed once again and The Feelies were able to snag the late great Anton Fier on drums. In 1980, the band released their debut masterpiece Crazy Rhythms. It's a wonderful sounding record and bands like R.E.M. fell in love with the records production. Partially, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck fell in love with the bands guitar work. You can hear R.E.M's node to The Feelies on classics like "The One I  Love" and their debut album Murmur. That said, The Feelies are heavily influenced by both The Beatles and The Velvet Underground. The Feelies second life came in the mid 80's when the band released their most critically acclaimed album The Good Earth in 1986. The album saw the band start to incorporate acoustic guitar and other musical elements like violin. In that same time, the band now went through another lineup change which is now the current lineup of Glenn Mercer (guitar), Bill Million (rhythm guitar), Brenda Sauter (bass guitar) and Stan Demeski. The Feelies felt right at home at Anchor Rock Club. It was a club that they were born to play. The smell of craft beer, cigarettes, and marijuana filled the air for an intimate yet powerful setlist. The band cranked out songs from their new LP In Between and the 1986 classic The Good Earth. Glenn Mercer delivered fantastic vocals and skillful slide guitar work while Brenda Sauter showcased Tina Weymouth baselines. The heart of any good alternative band are rhythm guitar and drums. Bill and Stan are a class act when it comes to holding a beat. They're so in synch it's almost as if you're listening to one of their records in your bedroom. The Feelies are a fantastic band that showcases that straight forward , crowd pleasing rock n roll is timeless. Go check them out next time they come around.