There’s always something happening in New York City. Day or night, heat wave or blizzard; if you find yourself bored it’s your own damn fault. It’s a double-edged sword for local bands like International Orange and The Dirty Vice Band though.  While opportunities to play are plentiful, so is the amount of acts trying to land gigs.  On a recent Wednesday night at Arlene’s Grocery you could feel the energy from the stage filling the room as it was evident that both, International Orange and The Dirty Vice Band have created something unique. The product these acts offered was certainly a breath of fresh air when sometimes things seem a bit generic.

Calling Bay Shore home since 2014, The Dirty Vice Band has been getting dirty around mainland Long Island in addition to regular stops on Fire Island.  With more shows popping up in NYC, if you haven’t heard them yet, you’re likely to soon. The sound of the 7-piece collective is hard to pin down but easy to vibe with. Lyrically the songs are strong and while many bands lack a natural singer, that’s not the case with the charismatic Rayzor Lazor. On “Hard Work”, Lazor gets to showcase his vocal range and dance moves as the band lays down a thick blanket of funk for him to get cozy with. Midway through, the song peaks and then drops as the band repeatedly recites what is now my new daily affirmation –“I look good, I feel good, I smell good, I make love good”- from a whisper back into full on funk mode.

As they slid into “Old Sailor” it quickly became apparent that The Dirty Vice Band has several solid vocalists. Keyboardist Mike Phelan traded verses with Rayzor Lazor and the rest of the band adds backup vocals throughout the tune. Pulling inspiration from the south shore of Long Island, the laid back vibe of the song mirrors that of life on Fire Island. A little more than half way through the song, a jam opens up finding the band building on an escalating groove around the main melody. Coincidently, given the oceanic content of the lyrics, it was during that section when a friend turns to me and says: “does someone in the band like Phish?”

With the bluesy “Fire On the Railroad”, guitarist Jamie Hoyler gets some time to show his chops. His slinky, yet precise, lead runs floated on top of the driving beats from drummer Pete Rettaliata and percussionist Douglas Meehan. As Rayzor Lazor sings about “taking that ride on the Babylon line”, its clear that these guys have a muse in their surroundings. Spotting several “Dirty Vice Band” hats being sported throughout the night, it was also clear that the band had some friends about to hop onto that Babylon line at the end of the night.

Before anyone decided to leave, Brooklyn based International Orange quickly set up. With decades of experience recording and touring with heavy weights in the jazz and jamband worlds, they quickly broke into their unique brand of Jazzjam and demanded that everyone stick around. The quartet was firing on all cylinders after playing some recent Jazz festivals and recording tracks for their new album earlier in the day. The first song out of the gate was “Keep the Blue Side Up”, the title track of their most recent EP. As drummer Todd Isler explained, guitarist Dave Phelps wrote the tune for his father who was a commercial pilot. The title references the artificial horizon indicator on an aircraft. Blue represents the sky and black is the ground so a pilot always wants to “keep the blue side up” to avoid crashing. Crashing however was the last thing the band did during the tune. No matter how far they stretched things, the band casually soared along with precision as Dave Phelps showcased his one of a kind style of controlled chaos on guitar. Just watching him manipulate his guitar to coax out the unimaginable sounds he creates is worth the price of admission alone.

The live debut of “Freight Liner” got bodies moving and the band all smiles. What initially sounds like the intro of a smooth jazz composition quickly morphs into a thick and hot groove. The main melody is tossed around by the band as they collectively complete the line and pass it back and forth for a bit, before the tune opens up into a loose jam. For those that know of Leo Traversa’s work through the Steve Kimock Band, his bass playing is no surprise. However, most in attendance were new to him and floored by his creativity and pocket.

Two numbers, “Spinner” and “Sookie’s Rumba”, that draw from opposite areas of the globe completed the picture of International Orange that speaks a thousand words.  The Middle Eastern vibes ooze from “Spinner” which has a drone like essence that seems as if it could evoke trance. Long drawn out notes on guitar, distorted by the whammy bar and slide, coupled with off time beats on the floor tom really drive home those Middle Eastern vibes. Adam Morrison’s keyboard work filled the spaces with plenty of texture as he bounced all around the drums and bass, creating a safety net that allowed Dave to explore the depths of the piece. Pulling everyone out that that trance was the Caribbean-esque “Sookie’s Rumba”, a tune written by Leo Traversa. Undeniably a dance tune through and through, the song is upbeat and you could picture light airy clothes blowing in the Caribbean breeze as the night starts to get loose.

One obvious takeaway from their set is that International Orange is extremely tight. Their vast experience and musical education has resulted in a level of musicianship that sets them apart from many other bands. They are truly genre defying and tunes like “Spinner” and “Sookie’s Rumba” contrasted with “Blue Side Up” and “Freight Liner” easily make that case.  The contrasting styles of The Dirty Vice Band and International Orange made for an entertaining night of adventurous original music.  As word gets out, be on the lookout for both bands as they make their way to a stage near you.