Photo Credit: Blaine Schultz
Monday night at the Cactus Club, as Reigning Sound took the stage, drummer Greg Roberson put on a glove, grabbed a drumstick and duct-taped his hand closed. It was apparent this would be no ordinary gig. Opening with their reimagined version of “Stormy Weather,” the band warmed up on a few tunes with frontman Greg Cartwright on acoustic guitar before switching to Telecaster. The garage-soul numbers ranged from the raging “Reptile Style” to the sublime “I’m So Thankful.” The audience even got in on the act, chiming in on “Bad Man” and “Drowning.”
The original lineup of the Memphis band last toured 17 years ago, and this show was the first in a handful of hit-and-run Midwest dates. With Jeremy Scott handling bass and backing vocals and Alex Greene doubling on organ and guitar, the band announced a last song, but the sardine-packed room offered no path to leave the stage. So, the combo offered an encore with Cartwright returning to the cranked-up acoustic for an encore that included “You Got Me Hummin’” by Stax heroes’ Sam and Dave that left everyone satisfied.
