On November 30, 2024, The Brighton Music Hall welcomed three amazing bands: King Kyote, The Mallett Brothers Band and The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow. As a photographer and a fan of rock music, I decided to head down to the venue to listen to them. I know the Mallett Brothers Band. Many times, I photographed them on stage. For that, I already have an idea how great they are. However, I did not know too much about the other two bands. I was curious to see them playing live.
The first artist who started the show was King Kyote an Indie recording artist from Maine. Sharing stages with legendary artists, including: Taj Mahal, Robert Cray, Rich Robinson (of the Black Crowes) Macy Gray, The Record Company, Molly Tuttle, Lee Brice, Houndmouth, Bombino and Robert Randolph & The Family Band, King Kyote’s music echoes Rock and Roll, Blues, and Indie Americana genes. As an internationally noted artist, his raw talent and honest songwriting made him deliver an exceptional performance for the night. The audience was deeply excited when he said that he plans to come back to Boston soon with his full band.
King played many songs such as Mother Nature, Get Out Alive, Ghosts, Gold Fades, Heathens, The Wild, Halo, Warriors, Weapon, Quarantine, North Country Shakedown….
The second group who came on stage was Mallett Brothers Band, an independent Rock and Roll, Americana, Bluegrass and country band from Portland Maine. The band is fronted by two brothers, Luke Mallett (vocals/guitar) and Will Mallett (guitar/banjo/vocals); sons of Folk icon David Mallett. Behind them are Nick Leen (bass), Wally Wenzel (guitar/dobro/keyboards), Matt Mills (lead guitar/pedal steel/banjo) and Brian Higgins (drums). Originally from Portland, Maine, these natives of The Pine Tree State have created an album “Lights Along The River” as pure and natural as the lakeside setting in which these songs were recorded.
Since 2009, the band has toured relentlessly, developed a strong following, and gained a solid reputation. They now have four full-length albums under their belts. Songs such as the state-spanning hoedown of “Tennessee”, the ZZ Top-esque “Rocking Chair”, and "Don't Mind the Morning”, were among those songs played by the group at The Brighton Music Hall.
The Mallett Brothers Band as usual was terrific. The group has a unique blend of Bluegrass and rock music with an amazing fiddle player. They have been together for 15 years and they are just great.
The third and last group on stage was The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow. As the headliner, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow is a collaborative band that brings together five Massachusetts singers and songwriters in the vein of Americana, rock and roots-folk music. The band is made up of musicians and songwriters Tory Hanna, Billy Keane, Greg Smith, David Tanklefsky, and banjo picker Chris Merenda. Their music is a melting pot of country, rhythm and blues, and rock with a hint of Gospel with the majority of songs celebrating the common struggles of life.
“They have attended songwriting retreats together and collaborated on each of their compositions, so everything syncs with the band’s sound the way it should.”
At The Brighton Music Hall, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow played a series of songs such as Gave Away, Fire and Rain, Pass the Peace, Hey Lady, Poisonous Me, The Rising, The Sound of Silence, California Blues, Massachusetts, Fools, Don’t Cross my Land, King Kong, Late Night, Laid Back, Perfect Day, Close To The Edge….Their love song “Leave Your Light On” with lyrics such as “If you admit I try and damn, look how much I’ve done/And my love for you is strong, look at the lengths in which I’ve gone”, was terrific.
Together, the band delivered a variety of insightful, optimistic songs as each band member took the lead to tell their story. Dressed casually in jeans and distinctive hats, their music travels electric with lyric-heavy compositions tinged in rock, reggae, roots, country, and blues.
King Kyote, The Mallett Brothers Band & The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow’s presentation at Brighton Music Hall was phenomenal. Their live performance was terrific: A good moment of release for the audience. It was effectively a time of the present, when the past was left behind and the future was set aside. It was a special time focused only on live music and heightened awareness. Sadness and depression were consciously excluded.