#1 - Kelly Finnigan: A Lover Was Born
Soundcheck to load-out with Kelly Finnigan & the Atonements.
I’m excited to share the inaugural photo feature of That Million Dollar Bash documenting a lovely hang with Kelly Finnigan and his 8-piece band, The Atonements, at Brooklyn Made in Bushwick a few weeks ago.
The first thing you notice when you hear the music of Kelly Finnigan is his phenomenal voice that somehow is able to phase back and forth between the laid-back sweep of Al Green and the frenzied immediacy of Otis Redding. The second thing you hear is how painstakingly constructed the music that surrounds that voice is. Peeking at the credits to his new album, A Lover Was Born, I learned that’s no accident: Finnigan is also the songwriter and produces, engineers and mixes his own music.
I got clued into that meticulous approach as Finnigan paused the sound check several times to request an adjustment of the interplay between the two guitarists, Jimmy James and Joe Ramey. As I observed him making more fine adjustments with everyone on stage, I had the sense of, “OK, this guy’s in charge and is acutely aware of everything that’s going on.”
After all the individual levels had been checked, Finnigan instructed the sound engineer to keep his keyboard low in the mix, explaining that he wanted the doubled guitars and bass (Max Ramey, Joe’s brother) to be the driving force of the sound, not him. Afterward, in the greenroom, he continued fine-tuning vocal harmonies with backing singers Chiedza Kundidzora and Mayteana Morales, who had recently joined the touring band and were still working out some of the nuances.
Born and raised in Los Angeles and later migrating to the Bay Area, Finnigan joined the psychedelic soul/funk ensemble Monophonics in 2011, growing into the role of lead vocalist, bandleader and producer. He now resides in Ohio close to the headquarters of his record label Colemine Records where he lends his songwriting and production skills to many other artists on the label. Monophonics are still an active concern, but Finnigan has been releasing recordings with a more straightforward soul and R&B approach under his own name since 2019’s The Tales People Tell.
As the holidays are upon us, it’s worth noting that his 2020 release, A Joyful Sound, is a fine collection of very good original (non-saccharine) holiday songs.
The band continues on a 21-date tour of Europe beginning in late January.
Sincere thanks to Kelly and everyone in the band for being so warm and welcoming.
Pictured are Kelly Finnigan, vocals and keyboards, Jimmy James and Joe Ramey, guitar, Max Ramey, bass, Chauncey Yearwood, drums, Jason Creasey, trombone, Paul Chandler, trumpet, Mayteana Morales and Chiedza Kundidzora, backing vocals.
SOUNDCHECK
Colemine label-mates Parlor Greens, a high-octane organ trio comprised of Adam Scone on keyboards, Jimmy James on guitar (also in Finnigan’s band) and Tim Carman drums, opened the show.
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BACKSTAGE
THE SHOW
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