Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage file
If you are looking for the kind of music that will make both the past generations’ purists and the hipster youngsters get along, you might be interested to learn about Gene Evaro Jr. and his band The Family.
Combining soul and funkiness with folkish sounds, and a side of modern, electronic elements, his songs are not bound by genre-specific norms that artists too often get trapped in. Born into a family of multi-generational professional musicians, Evaro undoubtedly found an original, authentic and tasteful way to incorporate all of his influences into music that will make everybody, young and old, want to groove along.
You can always expect quality from Gene Evaro Jr., as much musically (he flawlessly plays an array of instruments), as well as visually. Bringing you along on a fantasy ride, dotted with desert landscapes, dream catchers, velvet onesies, hand-drawn guitars, flowery basses and psychedelic patterns, fitting in the Joshua Tree hippie scenery, his assortment of stunning videos catch the eye as stand-alone pieces of fine art; each of them carrying fresh ideas.
The one shot video of “Have You Heard” is not only impressive in its execution, but also fun to watch, with someone dropping lyric boards, the aforementioned velvet onesie worn by Piper Robison (the bass player) and Evaro taking us on a brief walk to the desert outside.
“I’m Sorry I Ain’t Rich Yet” is witty and quirky. It begins with Evaro walking in, playing acoustic guitar, quickly followed by “himself” playing electric guitar, electric bass, drums, and tambourine, becoming his own one-man band.
When he mentions his “queen,” whom he’s “been loving since 2009,” Robison joins him on screen, twirling her dress, until she, too, gets her own double character, and walks in with her bass on the other side of the screen. Patting bass-Evaro on the shoulder, she takes his place as “the real” bass player of the band. The playful hints of humor can also be heard in the lyrics: “You still my queen. I’ll be your king. You be my king. And I’ll be your queen sometimes. That’s just kinky.”
You can also find LED-wired bicycle rides in the desert at night, and a saxophone solo in “Like It’s 1965,” a dance friendly song in the veins of “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man.
While 2019 was definitely a successful year for the band, with 121.9k listeners, and their song “With Love” getting more than 1 million streams on Spotify; 2020 is starting with a bang. First, with a new single: “Be Happy,” which was released on Jan.17. And now with a “tiny tour” bringing them North of their home in Joshua Tree, culminating on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the T-Bar Social Club in June Lake.
Join their world of beautiful art live by getting tickets HERE:
— Moana Avvenenti
