Bucks County Quartet Performs 'Live @ Best Buy'

Bucks County quartet Levee Drivers will bring their solid brand of rock to the “Live @ Best Buy” stage on Friday.

Right from the start, the name of this band piqued my curiosity, so I went to their official website to sample some of their recorded fare. What I observed were well-balanced blends of rock and country with hues of subtle bluesy overtones. Sonically the music is sparse, yet efficient. It breathes. It works. It has attitude and no gimmicks.

As a music producer, I can both appreciate and sense that this is a band of team players. Each member seems to bring the maximum amount of the minimum. That’s a great thing!

I frequently tell recording artists in the studio to leave room to perform beyond the recorded song in a concert setting. What that basically means is don’t overdo it on the record. Rather, save some for the live show. If not, you risk not having any room to take the song to another level dynamically in front of a crowd. This collective in all likelihood will not have that issue. Their songs are well arranged and definitely not over-produced. Kudos.

In the vocal department, lead singer August Lutz has a textured voice and tone that evoke positive comparisons to the late great Johnny Cash, only much smoother. No disrespect to Johnny. This is especially evident on songs like “Wichita”. The slowed pace and demeanor of this song coupled with Lutz’s delivery are reminiscent of a Midwestern sunset. This record feels like it should definitely be somewhere in someone’s movie filling in the blanks of a scene and tying it all together.

Another selection titled “Tennessee Girl” details the plight of a woman named “Betty” who has some issues with the law to say the least. The song has a nostalgic, edgy throwback feel. The lyrics pull you in as you find yourself creating visuals in your head alongside the driving music.

The songs that I listened to gave me the impression that this is a group worth checking out live. The material warrants it.

Their sound is polished, deliberate and the songs are mixed well. The upside looks bright. In fact, in 2007 Levee Drivers beat out 300 other acts to win the “Cream: Best of Philly Rising Award” held by World Café Live. The year-long contest was a fitting accomplishment and testament to what they have to offer as a musical entity and their fan base just increased by one person!

Come check out: August Lutz (leads), Jeff Orlowski (drums), Jason Schultz (lead guitar), Chris Zembower (bass) at 7 p.m. on June 17 at Best Buy in Fairless Hills.