Source: Rockbottom 'Zine
Date: October 27, 2003

Dada: Live: Official Bootleg Volume I

For those born in the last 20 years or so, let me clue you in on something. There used to be this thing called ROCK. It was played by these people called MUSICIANS. They were extremely talented people who had put in their time learning their craft. Whether they were a great guitarist like Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton or a phenomenal drummer such as Stewart Copeland or Neil Peart, they were people whom it seemed devoted their whole life (or a big chunk of it) to playing music and being masters of their instruments.

True musicians didn't use click tracks to keep themselves on beat. They didn't play along with drum machines. Their guitar sounds weren't "sampled" from someone else who was creative enough to develop a unique sound. They developed their own sound and technique. Record labels have gotten away from signing and promoting such high quality because to be very honest... it's extremely had to find. It's not just Cleveland. It's everywhere. How many Beatles have we found since they broke up? How many Hendrix's are still out there yet undiscovered? BUT, once in awhile, life surprises us and some extraordinary talent slips through the corporate crack. dada is such a band.

I first discovered them in 1992 like we all did from hearing their song "Dizzkneeland" on the radio. "I just flipped off President George" was the line of the year and is strangely pertinent today! Funny how things, at least political things, go around in bad circles. Anyway, being a guitar freak, I heard dada guitarist Michael Gurley's solo in that song and another favorite guitarist of mine, Phil Keaggy (from Glass Harp) popped into my head. What a great solo, I thought. I went out & bought the CD (Puzzle) and discovered these guys were no one hit wonder. Unlike most CD's, there wasn't a bad song on Puzzle. Not even a mediocre one. And they were all phenomenal musicians. All three of them were at the top of their game and equally as talented. No dead weight here. Any one of these guys could be the centerpiece of any other band. A supergroup of sorts without the fame (yet).

Subsequent CD's by dada emerged. About one every two years. 1994 brought the stunning American Highway Flower. 1996, the quirky and eccentric El Subliminoso and 1998, their fourth, self-titled debut CD for MCA records simply named dada. This was their most commercial work yet. But commercial in a good way. Catchy, accessible to the masses, yet highly skilled and enough great playing to satisfy even the most discriminating musician.

Well, right as this CD came out & the national tour started, MCA Universal which was owned by Seagrams (yes the booze folks) was sold to some conglomerate called Vivendi. Heads started to roll and departments were consolidated bla bla bla. dada got lost in the mix and did many MCA artists. The band decided to go on a self-imposed hiatus. Each member started solo projects which led drummer Phil Leavit to his work with Blue Man Group while Guitarist Michael Gurley recorded an LP of jazz standards with keyboardist extroidinaire John Gilmore. Bassist Joie Calio started his own project called Candy Apple Black and Phil & Michael formed a band in 2001 called Butterfly Jones.

But, dada fans wouldn't be denied. They hung in there on websites. They formed fan clubs. There were dada user groups and web forums. dada fans bought and supported every solo project and attended every performance by any member within driving distance and many that were not.

Well, the fans have spoken! dada is back together and the gift for all that waiting is their new live CD titled: Live: Official Bootleg- Volume 1. A sort of parody because dada always encouraged their fans to record performances, pass them around and spread the love. Their official website and many others always have dada stuff to download including audience recordings and videos of shows. These guys are the Anti-Metallicas!

The CD opens with "Dim" from their first CD Puzzle. It's classic dada. Catchy as hell, great three part harmonies, and a killer solo from Gurley. Other standouts include "Feel Me Don't You", "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" and the beautiful "Dorina". Although this performance concentrates mostly on songs from Puzzle, El Subliminoso is represented here by a great version of "Trip With My Dad" and 98's self titled CD offers up "Playboy In Outerspace" and "Baby Really Loves Me". Phil Leavit's drum solo that starts "Posters" shows us not only what a great drummer he is but how much his stint with Blue Man Group has paid off. His work on that song reminded me of what great drummers are capable of. After being bombarded with J-Lo and all those processed drum machines on corporate radio, I'd forgotten (Thanks Phil). But the real killer here is their nine minute version of American Highway Flower's "Ask The Dust" . This is one of my favorite all time dada pieces. It's just a brilliant song musically and lyrically. The performance here is stunning! There is also a great little surprise toward the end of the song that I can't reveal here. (I don't want to ruin it for you).

The first thing you'll notice about this CD is the sound quality. It's so good you have a hard time believing it's live. The second thing you realize is the great, dead-on three part harmonies. The third thing that came to me was "Oh my God! These guys are a THREE PIECE and sound this good live". There are no overdubs on this CD. At least none that I could find and I've listened over & over on that one. These guys actually are this good! I didn't know whether to burn my guitar or be inspired. Same with my drum set.

This is a stunning CD and one that will put a grin on your face the size of Montana! It just doesn't get any better than this. My first instinct was to buy about 1000 of these CD's and pass them out to everyone I could. Financial considerations of course prevent that. But you can get your own. Simply visit http://www.dadatheband.com/ and pick up one or 1,000. I'd love to see that grin on your face as you listen to it. Thanks to the guys in dada for reminding us what rock music and true musicianship is all about! I can't wait to hear volume's 2 & 3 & 4...

Brian Dempsey (ROCKBOTTOM GUEST CONTRIBUTOR)