Live Review: Geordie Greep - USA & Canada Tour 2025 with Support from Nnamdi

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine
Edited by Fiza Javid

Bottom Lounge Chicago - January 29, 2025

Geordie Greep on his first solo tour in the states, with a residency in Chicago, the first of three nights at the Bottom Lounge, followed by two more shows at the Empty Bottle.
Highly anticipated since the Fall of last year, when this batch of dates was announced in the states.
And the show-
It didn't disappoint.

Some quick takeaways from Wednesday night at the Bottom Lounge:
Load In.
When the band arrived, and parked their limo cargo van to unload their gear- jovial and fun vibes throughout.

Their driver, I assume also their sound and lighting guy, comes out of the van once parked wearing a gigantic cheesehead, like the kind you see at Green Bay Packer games.
The second takeaway is Geordie's bass player, Dave Strawn, and what he's wearing, which is a Slayer T Shirt while setting up his gear between the opener Nnamdi prior to going on.
So in my opinion, without even having played a single note as of yet, these guys are fun.
And they're having a damn good time bringing this show to the states, no matter the size of the venue, or let alone the stage.

The setlist changes a bit from night to night, but emphasis is clearly on Geordie's solo release "The New Sound", from October of last year.
But there's also nuggets interlaced throughout Geordie's set, with a nod to the great Chick Corea, with the song "Spain", from 1971, and Chick's band Return to Forever.
Geordie also covers a Willie Colon song "Cua cua ra, cua cua", along with a song from his keyboard player Cameron Campbell "Parabola", along with a song from his previous band Black Midi- "Dangerous Liaisons".

So the main takeaway with all of this, is of course Improvisation, followed by lots and lots of exploration, even with the solo songs from "The New Sound".
And you have to give him credit for this, if for anything the idea of challenging himself, and surrounding himself with musicians who know a thing or two with powerhouse chops and renegade everything.

The Bottom Lounge on a weekday night in Chicago- Packed.
And the buzz for this show in the venue was ever evident, the audience taking it all in, and enjoying the banter from Geordie, let alone the "Feel Good" vibes.

You can tell, at least from my perspective, that mistakes are ok when pushing one's self, as I noticed from the photo pit, with Geordie looking about at his fellow band members, reading cues on elevating instrumental moments, and letting his band relish and take deep dives into breakneck solos, no matter the song, no matter if the complexity is sometime's hard to keep up to match wits with brain and cues.
This show- it was just so damn fun, from opener "Walk Up', to the close with "The Magician".

The challenge as well, which again was fun to witness over and over, was the band trying to keep things loose as well- and that yes, these compositions are challenging, that's for sure, but let's see where we can take this, including impromptu twists and turns.

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Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Geordie Greep - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

That was ever evident in the deep dive of everything in song's number two and three, "Terra", into "The New Sound", with keyboard flurries from Cameron, let alone drum fills from Charlie Sheft, along with percussionist Santiago Moyano.
Throughout the entire night, these guys.....
They unleashed the hounds, like over and over and over, hence Geordie looking stage right at Cameron on the keys for assurance on melody breaks, let alone turning around on multiple occasions to soak in the vibes of all things drums and percussion percolating ever so timely from behind him.
You can tell by all of this that that comes from a solid jazz composer background, with complex melodies making your hairs stand on end, like advanced learning in musical composition, and- audience- are you along for the ride?
By the looks of things, the entire night- a resounding yes.
​
So grateful, again in my opinion, to witness this in a small club/ venue setting, before things get bigger in larger venues, if that happens to be the case, and Geordie has bigger ideas on where to take things further.
Not that I have any idea on that- just suffice it to say that this current incarnation of Geordie's band- so damn fun to feel the heat and sweat coming off the stage, with gigantic smiles throughout.
This band- Geordie's band- fully engages the listener.
Also refreshing to see the lines at the back at the back of the venue for Geordie's merch, especially his vinyl for "The New Sound", doing brisk business.
The folks at the Bottom Lounge?
They were obviously in the know.
Again-
This show was so damn fun.
What a great way to kick off the new year, musically speaking.
More dates await, with stops heading east, from Kalamazoo Michigan, Toronto, Montreal, before heading to Boston and also Brooklyn.
If not sold out- now's your chance.
Go get them tickets.
You won't be disappointed.

Bobby Talamine - JBTV Music Television Chicago

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Geordie Greep, Bobby Talamine, 2025, JBTV Music Television, Live Music, Chicago, Bottom Lounge, Fiza Javid, Jerry Bryant