The Penitent Man Returns to the Live Stage @ The Royal

Last Friday, after almost a year-and-a-half since playing for a live audience, The Penitent Man stepped onto the stage at The Royal and scratched an annoying itch.

This particular stage has welcomed many artists in, from the cold dark night of the pandemic live music void. With the exception of the brief mandatory stay-at-home order, The Royal hardly skipped a beat. The club hosted bands like Royal Bliss, Spirit Machines, Berlin Breaks, Late Night Savior and many others. Solo performers kept busy as well. Artists like Nick Johnson, Preston Creed of Jägertown and others banged out sets during the pandemic.

And so it was, on this stage, that The Penitent Man would reemerged to the live music scene. And many, like myself, have been waiting.

And so it was, on this stage, that The Penitent Man would reemerged to the live music scene.

I became a fan of the band after the release of their 2020 self-titled album, The Penitent Man. I immediately looked forward to seeing them play live, but shit happens and it would be almost a year-and-a-half before I would get my chance.

During their exile, the band certainly did what they could to calm the masses. In late 2020, we saw the release of Live at Pale Horse Sound, which helped.

Fast forward to May 2020 and finally a show date was scheduled. With the promised release of Legends Of The Desert: Volume 2 (check out the album review on obelisk.net) which would coincide with the show, the stage was finally set.

Before the show, I had the opportunity to meet a few members of the band. Drummer Chris Garrido and I had connected on social media last summer. While we weren’t exactly strangers, it was great to finally meet the man face-to-face.

I commented on the band’s productivity during the pandemic—releasing three albums. For starters, Garrido says Live At Pale Horse Sound wasn’t really meant to be an album. After filming and recording a live-stream show at Pale Horse Sound, the band realized how good the audio was and an album was born. For Legends Of The Desert: Volume 2, Garrido says the band did all of the tracking in their separate home studio spaces. From there is was a matter of sending tracks to Pale Horse Sound, for some mixing and mastering magic.

---

If you’re looking for live music this weekend, I’d like to recommend going to see The Pour, tomorrow night, June 11 at the Hog Wallow Pub.

---

Garrido introduced me to singer Allan Davidson and guitarist Steve King, who were kicking back on the patio behind the club. With the sound of Big Cottonwood Creek running past the patio, we chatted while King picked at his chicken nachos.

We spoke of the challenges presented by the pandemic—coming down with COVID and being separated from loved ones. We spoke of old bands and band mates through the years and how they were connected to the opening acts, Dulce Sky and Medicine Circus.

Davidson looked relaxed, but after he mentioned how long it had been since they played before real people, I asked if he was nervous. He shrugged in response. Turns out he was mostly feeling how odd is was…being around so many people with no masks.

There were quite a few people on hand to see the the show. Like every single show I’ve been to recently, the fans in attendance were full of pent-up energy. While it felt odd to Davidson, it must have felt odd in a good way.

Alas, showtime was nearing so I bid my new friends farewell and joined the audience.

The Penitent Man bills themselves as a stoner rock/blues/desert rock band. I’m not sure what desert rock is but, regardless of labels, I’ve always considered the band to be a bit progressive…a bit hypnotic and one that generally favors luscious, slow jams.

I’ve always considered the band to be a bit progressive…a bit hypnotic and one that generally favors luscious, slow jams.

As such, I was curious to see how the band’s music would come off in a club scene. Earlier, I had asked Davidson what type of shows the band preferred. He replied they like to play festivals—where people really pay attention to the music. As I wandered through the club, it seemed most in attendance were defiantly paying attention.

The band opened with Blood On The Butcher Block—which I believe was first recorded on their live album—followed by The Butcher, off the new album. As they moved into Rest My Weary Head and Man On The Hill, it was clear the audience was totally into the slow jams—I saw plenty of introspective people grooving away.

…if I opened my eyes—I imagined I might see Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell up on the stage.

The second half of the set sealed the deal for me. I loved A Song To Remember—a haunting ballad about a dreams and death—which was followed by A Long Deep breath Of Sadness, which has always reminded me of Alice In Chains. Not only the groove, but the vocal harmonies which—if I opened my eyes—I imagined I might see Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell up on the stage.

Next up, the band kicked into Purple Kiss—one of their more up-tempo numbers. At this point the energy was building and the song, Stone, was the perfect closer. It took the audience back down a bit, with a slow beginning that built up to a crescendo, complete with dual guitar solos and a sound that reminded me of Robin Trower. Do these guys even know who that is? I’ll have to ask.

The Penitent Man, which also includes Phill Gallegos on guitar and Ethan Garrido on bass, played a wonderful live set. The last image I saw, as I slipped out the front door, was the satisfied faces of bandmates and fans alike—many of whom had climbed the stage to congratulate their heroes and welcome them back to the world of live music.

---

Follow The Penitent Man on Facebook, purchase their music on their bandcamp page, and stream their music on Spotify and Apple Music. Keep your eyes on our curated live show calendar. We only promote artists we know to be worthy of your time.