Returning to Fairfield, Connecticut for the first time since February of last year, Neighbor took to the stage with aplomb at FTC presents Stage One on Friday night for a sold out show. 

The band appeared to have retained the buoyancy from their recent Jam Cruise experience and were champing at the bit to play some live music together for the first time since that debauched gathering on the high seas concluded one month ago. 

Neighbor took to the stage a fashionably late half hour or so beyond the announced show time of 7:45 after cooking up some new ideas backstage while enjoying the venues fine hospitality for the evening, here’s looking at you chicken souvlaki.. The quartet of Richard James (Keys, Vox), Lyle Brewer (Guitar), Dan Kelly (Bass) and Dean "Duxxy" Johnston (Drums) immediately sunk their teeth into a slinky show opening “Broadway” that began an uninterrupted 25 minute run of music, seamlessly journeying through a pristine “Steel”, which contained hints of the bands “Cucamonga Carl”, and a bouncy “I Tried” before returning back home to “Broadway”.

As the room began to grow fragrant from the proceedings, it became announcement time from the stage, as the venue had recently had to clear out a Circles Around the Sun show due to the smoke detectors going off and had opened a smokers porch for the Neighbors in attendance to go out and “crank a J” on as Ricky invited folks to do, this elicited a bit of friendly ribbing from his childhood neighbor Lyle who then propelled the band right into a frenetic “Shitstorm” that had the lead guitarist giving a nod to Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child”. The band then downshifted smoothly into a “Ten Years Behind” before Dan Kelly’s bass enveloped the room leading into the funk fusion workout “One for the Hoop” that had the crowd getting down before settling into the first set ending rocker “Without” that had the focused attendees buzzing around the lobby during set break.

The second set opened with the evocative “Back in Maine”, the newish original sounds like a song that you may have grown up listening to, classic rock that lyrically takes the listener on a tour of the country’s hot spots and high times and this version took the trip musically as well, launching the band into a run that included a gorgeously patient take on the meticulously composed and ethereal “I Saw You” that had the very respectful crowd hanging silently on every note. What an underrated joy it is to be in a room full of music lovers that are actively listening without talking over the music and each other all night, to that the good folks of Fairfield deserve applause. 

“I Saw You” melted into the driving prog of “The Longest Day” that flowed directly into a straightforward take on “All the Same”. The band took its first breath after nearly 40 minutes of uninterrupted music to start the set and chose the tender country ballad “Motor” next, but things didn’t stay quiet for long as the band launched into a down and dirty “Magic Marble Crew” to begin the evenings final descent passing through a “Dux" led drum solo and jam returning to the set opening “Back in Maine” before touching down.

The band treated the crowd to the only cover song of the evening for the encore, debuting the Bobby and Shirley Womack penned “It’s All Over Now” that featured a spirited piano solo from Richard James that sent those in attendance home with a smile on their face and a spring in their step.