Heavy Petting @ the Culture Room

On May 8, 2010 the Heavy Pets held a Album Release Party for the unveiling of their second, self titled album, The Heavy Pets. Having seen the band play the last few times they appeared in South Florida even I found myself suprised by what had awaited me. To open the party the Pets had a dj spin in the performace room while mingling with friends and fans out in the patio. Consistently delviering strong performances while displaying a strong appreciation for the fan base, the Heavy Pets never disappoint.

The band came on stage at around 10:30 and jolted the crowd with its high energy infusion of jam rock, dub, funk, soul, and blues. They opened with Do it Right and kept true to the song title. The audience grew larger as the the band journeyed through it's first of two sets. Never before have I witnessed a Heavy Pets show with such a strong connection with its fans. The energy in the room was contagious as many concert goers found themselves raging to the sounds of the Pets. The band played an intense 30 minute version of it's hit song, "So Thank You Music" which prompted athe audience to respond with a shower of glow sticks that lit up the room. The Culture Room amped up its light system and cranked out a visual masterpiece that perfected assimilated into the grooves of the band's songs.

The Heavy Pets treated the audience with selection from its second album. Dueling guiatarist and vocalists, Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli brilliantly performed Lazy Anna and Jackie Bones. In addition to their intensity on guitar, Keyboardist, Jim Wuest had the crowd dancing with a fury with his catchy solos on the keys. Bassist, Justin Carney and drummer Jaime Newett sharply delivered, which helped create a show for the record books. To close the evevning the Pets concluded their second set with Holy Holy to end the night on a high note. The band never wavered in its energy and committment to entertain throughout the evening.

The Heavy Pets have drastically evolved since the release of their first album, Whale. The combination of their instrumental evolution and ability to experiment with the origin of their sound only helps to thrust the band into the mainstream. Having played renown festivals such as Langerado, Bonnaroo and their own festival,PetZoo, the Heavy Pets are growing in popularity and should be a future headliner to come.