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Next up was Aaron Winters who delivered a soulful set of Marvin Gaye influenced 70's sounding numbers with his six-piece band and three backing vocalists. Winters was initially a crowd pleaser, as people began moving closer to the stage considering the possibility of a memorable New Year's. However, Winters's set fizzled. His opening number was his strongest, and by the time he had left the stage the room was again looking like prom night.
The GABE DIXON BAND was flawless, but the crowd couldn't connect to their Billy Joel influenced Joey DiFrancesco vibe. After a few numbers Gabe Dixon kindly expressed his gratitude for being included on the bill. He went on to mention that he and drummer Jano Rix had just flown in from Florida just two hours earlier, that they were tired but glad that they made it. Nobody cared. The GABE DIXON BAND played several more GDB songs, but also added a rendition of Cocaine that was consistent with the evening's vibe—weird. Regardless, the GDB were as tight as ever and the professionalism of these three top-shelf musicians is refreshing. Unfortunately, the GDB appeared to have cut their set short, anticipating a call for encore, which never came and they politely returned to the stage to remove their gear. The GDB are very nuanced, particularly the exquisite drumming of Jano Rix, and they will always do better in a room where the sound (sound man?) can capture these nuances.
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