Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

But Simi Stone should have been the act before Jon Cleary. Sleepy Man should have been outside. Sleepy Man was some weird cross between New Country, Alt-Country, NewGrass, and Boy-Band Pop. Yeah, they could play and sing, but the material was part lame and part gee whiz, those teenagers shore can play fast. Warming for Jon Cleary with an act where you're SUPPOSED to clap on the one and three is a bad choice. Oh, and Sleepy Man? Lose the drummer and get a mandolin or dobro player. Then you'll be playing bluegrass. I got to Belleayre late, but not late enough to miss Sleepy Man. It seems there were folks who, evidently, were there to hear the adorable teenage "bluegrass" band. A good chunk of the crowd cleared out before the headliner!!! Jon and Co. are very professional, but clearly the set was a little truncated. They didn't exactly phone it in, but I could tell their enthusiasm for playing for half a house of relatively sedate New Yorkers was somewhat curbed. Still, it was worth a half-hour drive from Woodstock to hear Jon & the AMG open with "Lottie Mo'" a wonderful Lee Dorsey chestnut. They continued with "Tipitina/Loberta" and soldiered through a set that included "Just Kissed My Baby," "Let's Get Low Down," and for the encore, "Pump It Up" off their most recent album "GoGo Juice." Belleayre would have been better off (and saved some money) by making this a simple show with one opener, Simi Stone. More of the crowd would have stayed for Jon Cleary and the overall energy would have been higher. I, for one, went out to dinner at Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room before arriving part way through Sleepy Man's set. I couldn't imagine getting there for two acts outdoors and one act I SOOO was not interested in before Jon Cleary. That's too long to hang around on the mountain, and I'm sure some of the people who left before Jon started had just had enough. They were tired and wanted to go home. Maybe Sleepy Man brought some fans, but they hit the wrong note for a show featuring "Jazz, Funk, Rhythm & Blues, and Soul."