Freeman Runs Amok At Lincoln Hall

By Casey Moffitt in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 26, 2014 7:30PM

photo credit Franco Vogt

When Aaron Freeman took the Lincoln Hall stage Wednesday night with his new band, Freeman, not too many in the crowd were sure what was going to happen. But the band delivered a smoldering set that touched on his past with Ween, the present and maybe even the future.

The band kicked off the set with a rocker, "Cops Are Coming," a Crazy Horse-type number that established the mood for the night, as it highlights Freeman's own sense of humor and allowed his new band to get warmed up for the ensuing evening.

Freeman himself was in fine form. He was all smiles throughout the set and his voice was as strong as ever. Some of the pitches he hit during the show were stratospheric, and it held all night.

Freeman has surrounded himself with a bunch of young musicians, he must have a good 15 years on the next oldest member in the band. They haven't played a lot of shows together, and at times it showed. At points the band didn't seem to really be working as a cohesive unit, but rather a collection of musicians who were trying to get through the songs. The guys are pretty green but they're also wickedly talented. It's because of their talent the fact the band could use some seasoning was merely a minor distraction.

Freeman let these guys loose too, when it was appropriate. Guitarist Chris Boerner was let off the leash to close "(For A While) I Couldn't Play My Guitar Like A Man" and tore it up. His solo soared over the ruckus from the rest of the band as the main set came to an end. It brought down the house.

Keyboardist Zach Tenorio-Miller also was given a chance to flex his chops during "Your Party" and again, this kid has some serious skills as he nimbly ripped through his solo. His parts were a highlight all night long, although not prominently featured in the mix during most of the evening. He subtly shined behind the rhythm section and guitars.

If this band sticks together for a while it really has a chance to grow into a powerhouse.

Freeman played about half of the tunes from the band's self-titled album and peppered plenty of Ween songs through the set. The crowd went wild during many of the familiar Ween tunes, but also seemed to respond well to new material too. Freeman closed out the encore with a version of Prince's "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man."

Freeman have put out a nice album and if Aaron can keep writing solid songs and maintain his attitude and humor, it could develop into something that could have some staying power. Freeman is a band to keep an eye on. They gave us a good idea what they can do on stage and offered up a glimmer as to where it all could go.