ELECTRIC SKY CHURCH

In the realm of music, the mixture of the sacred and profane has been most
vital to America’s health, and yet fundamentalists evince virulent
resistance when acts like Florida’s sacred steel masters the Lee Boys shift
to the pop arena. This family band never courts the Devil, but does provide a civic-minded service to audiences unfamiliar with the guitar-centric gospel tradition formerly cloistered in the House of God denomination from which they hail. These are high times of hope in the waning days of Bush America, yes, but a dose of fervent, holy rollin’ energy can never hurt. Bandleader Alvin Lee’s (plus his brothers’ and cousins’) hometown of Miami has never faked the funk since the heyday of Sam & Dave, so tonight’s
mesmeric grooves should take you aloft on the steel’s spectral, electric
whine, while the fam conjures the Holy Spirit. With Licorice.

Wed., Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., 2008