The Michael Fioretti Band -Live at The Strange Brew Tavern - Manchester NH

The Michael Fioretti Band

Live at The Strange Brew Tavern

Manchester, New Hampshire

88 Market Street

Manchester, NH 03101-1911

Review by Georgetown Fats

After a long week of commuting very few things get me out of the house, into the bitter cold willing to do eighty more miles of driving. Give me the prospect of a good live show by a respected local musicians at a brew pub which of yet has been unknown to me, and I gleefully hit the road.

The Michael Fioretti Band, featuring Michael Fioretti on vocals and guitar, Steve Tatarunis on bass and John Medeiros on the drums are not another group of guys happy to pump out overdone cover songs. Any live performance of The Michael Fioretti Band is going to be a night of deep tracks and interesting musical arrangements.

The Strange Brew Tavern is a unique hang out. Near Manchester city hall, The Strange Brew Tavern features pub food, television screens set to pool tables and an extensive list of beers on tap. With a stage right in the middle of the dining room, and a vintage motor cycle set off to the side The Strange Brew Tavern brings in a healthy mix of locals looking for a quick pint, and the suit and tie set.

As we placed our order with our waitress, The Michael Fioretti Band started the evening off by opening with a jazzy rendition of The Sesame Street theme song. The tune and trio quickly won over the crowd which had initially come over to the stage area in order to watch The Bruins game.

After some conferring among the band mates the trio rolled out a cover of a personal favorite of mine, the late-great Professor Longhair. Using a well-crafted guitar tone from his own line boutique amps, and tenor vocals the cover song was a loose interpretation of the tune rather than an imitation. With John Medeiros and Steve Tatarunis holding down the rhythm like a couple of New Orleans natives the cover song arrangement did not miss the horn line and rollicking piano in the original.

By the time out food had arrived, Little Richard’s “Miss Ann” was next up. By this time those who had assembled around the stage area to watch The Boston Bruins game on the TV above the stage gave up on the game in order to listen to the band.

As we chomped on some sweet potato fries, tater skins, onion soup and clam chowder the trio offered up “Red Sky” by John Mayall and “Lonely Avenue” by Ray Charles both tunes well received by the assembled crowd.

All-in-all a great night of music and food which had to end too early due to the ride home and having to get to work the following day. If you are looking for a great hang out, some pub grub and a good draft brew then The Strange Brew Tavern is the place to go. If you are looking for something different in the form of musical entertainment, then The Michael Fioretti Band is the band for you.