Something quite good is happening with Little Feat. As the esteemed sextet took the stage of the Chevalier Theatre on a rainy Tuesday night in May, the band’s indefatigable leader, keyboardist Billy Payne, previewed the performance ahead. It would be, Payne said, a comprehensive journey- including selections from the group’s forthcoming studio set, Strike Up the Band– to the delight of the near-capacity house. Then, with the familiar time-setting click of a woodblock, the six roared into a two-hour show, opening on the buoyant, second-line strut of the classic, “Fat Man in the Bathtub.”

In fact, Feat soon would grace the Chevalier with new cuts, but chose to front-load this appearance in the Boston suburb of Medford with a slew of venerable Feat faves and deeper cuts. Shifting to “Easy to Slip,” the vocal spotlight shifted, as well, to guitarist Scott Sharrard, who, along with drummer Tony Leone, comprise the “new” duo of Featsters; immediately paying out the dividends of (relative) youth on an always-rollicking “Oh, Atlanta,” and a particularly sharp and driving rendition of “Spanish Moon.” 

Next, Payne dedicated “Time Loves a Hero” to honor those past members- founder Lowell George, drummer Richie Hayward, and guitarist Paul Barrere- who’ve passed on; then surprised, after that nugget, with a swirling take on the proto-fusion romp, “The Fan,” including a rare lead vocal from bassist Kenny Gradney on the third verse. True to Payne’s promise, Feat nodded to the new album- doing brisk vinyl business at the merch table, it should be noted- as Sharrard launched the record’s first track, “4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work,” then welcomed singer Chrissi Poland to guest on the grooving, current single, “Midnight Flight.” Both debuts were especially well-received by the faithful, rewarded as Poland stuck around for a shining “All That You Dream.”

Leone excelled on a version of The Band-adopted, R&B chugger “Don’t Do It,” echoing the late Levon Helm, then ceded back to Payne for the keyboardist’s new song, “Bayou Mama.” Indeed, the journey, as Payne foreshadowed, dipped back to the band’s 2024 album, Sam’s Place, spotlighting percussionist Sam Clayton on the blues bop of “Mellow Down Easy.” It pinged back further, to Leone for “Old Folks Boogie,” and up to the drummer’s mirroring contribution to the new slate, “Running Out of Time with the Blues.”

Whether it’s Leone’s stellar, polyrhythmic drumming and earthy tonsils, or Sharrard’s deft embrace of blues-soaked, funky guitar leads, swampy slide riffs, and soulful, invested vocals, these two have more than just fit in with Feat. They’ve done the difficult task of elevating what was already one of the premier, eclectic rock ensembles of the past half-century. And the pair has done so, smartly, by staying grounded in an attentive reverence to the music, and to the ageless, unrelenting musicianship of Payne, Clayton, Gradney, and guitarist Fred Tackett

As the acoustic strains of “Willin’,” faded away, Tackett set down his mandolin and reached for his trumpet to announce the immortal “Dixie Chicken.” The jam was on and didn’t let up- through a return of Poland for the rocket-fueled closing on “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now,”- with a final, exhilarating “Let It Roll.” The journey was a complete one on this first night of the Strike Up the Band tour.  Yet, really, almost like Little Feat, itself, just getting started.