Kalamazoo - There seems to be some confusion as to who or what Domestic Problems is. When I told a co-worker I was going to see Domestic Problems in Kalamazoo, she thought I was going to Kalamazoo to do a story on spousal abuse.
Silly, silly woman. Hopefully, this will set the record straight.
Andy Holtgreive and his rockin‘ band of merry men, known as Domestic Problems, made its way back to the frontman’s hometown of Kalamazoo Thursday night to an ecstatic crowd of 200-plus fans at the 2002 Ribfest.
This Barenaked Ladies-Sister Hazel crossbreed got things off to a quick start with their newest hit, “Beautiful Girl.” Bill Kenny jazzed up the crowd with his energetic trumpeting, as he and the trumpet seemed to fuse into one giant 6-foot musical instrument.
Kenny bounced around the stage constantly and his inspirational playing got the females fans to cheer with approval.
Holtgreive assisted Kenny by cranking out the turbo-charged song off its newest CD, “Patiently,” with some mean rifts on electric guitar.
Domestic Problems also belted out the acoustic-meets-electric guitar track “North Dakota,” where Holtgreive showed off his vocal talent with powerful and emotional singing.
But that was just a quick respite from the energetic and trumpet-based “Peoria,” where the crowd finally started to become part of the band. “Woohoos” oozed out of the audience as it sang along with the band.
A little humor was injected into old-school favorite, “24 Hours,” as Holtgreive started replacing traditional lyrics with plugs for barbecue ribs like “Dip me in rib sauce,” and “Lick my ribs.”
The crowd was laughing and it was in the palm of DP’s collective hand.
After a brief homage to Shaun Cassidy, Holtgreive and Co. made things even wackier. The lead vocalist slapped on a pair of aviator sunglasses and busted open a can of funk with the old-school groove “I Know You Are But What Am I.” For this song, the sax and electric guitar meshed together and reminded concertgoers of DP’s glory days in 1996.
Holtgreive also managed to get a couple of jabs in on Kenny, who was wearing a ski hat in the 80-plus degree weather, before going into an improved song all about Kalamazoo.
Drummer Reggie Ness took the audience back to the bang-bang, high-octane classic “Play.” It was simply good rock, with electric guitars blasting off and the crowd roaring with enthusiasm.
Now that the band was ready to end its 67-minute, 13-song set, only one song remained and it was the one everyone was waiting for - “Summer in the Sandbox.”
The song reminded everyone about their youthful days playing in the sandbox, meeting someone pretty and then wetting their pants - ah, memories.
By now, the crowd had become the band and was singing even when it wasn’t their cue to do so. People were dancing, waving their arms back and forth above their heads and I felt like I was with a bunch of happy hippies for four minutes.
DP left the stage, came back for an encore, jammed for a while and then boogied on home.
Overall, although some of its newer music is not quite as funky and rockin‘ as its old-school tunes, the concert was a blast for everyone, including myself.
The energy and power of this band should not be overlooked by music geeks.
If you want to check out a zany BNL-esque band, then make it a point to see Domestic Problems in an all-ages show at Rick’s American Cafe, 224 Abbott Road in East Lansing, Aug. 22.
