Aging Gracefully

A Night at The Sound Room Strikes a Chord

Last week I went to a live show at an intimate, non-profit music venue in my hometown of Oakland, Ca, called The Sound Room, and saw Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks and Susan Tedeschi perform. All in one person.

It was LA musician Angela Petrilli and she was on fire. Angela was guest-starring with The Family Jules Band, a local blues band led by the brilliant blues slide guitarist, Jules Leyhe. She invoked the greatest female rock stars with her powerfully sweet voice and killer guitar licks while having a distinct style all her own. A style worth seeing again and again. A style with substance.

Together, Angela and The Family Jules Band brought the Sound Room down. It was electric. And while I am not an audiophile or music critic what I can say is… this was so much fun.

Angela added a sultriness to Jules’ all-male instrumental band’s vibe. Whether it was her own powerful songs like “Red River” or covers of Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman,” Neil Young’s “Down By the River,” or Tom Petty’s “Yer So Bad,” Angela’s smoky voice, range and guitar duels with Jules were so beautiful and stirring, that I actually forgot I was unemployed for two hours.

She has a stage presence and charisma that is undeniable. She’s also pretty good in YouTube videos, and I know that because the reason I’d heard of Angela is that I take lessons from her online at Angela Petrilli Music.

The lessons aren’t personalized, one-on-one classes, but lessons that are available on YouTube. She’s a patient, caring teacher who breaks down difficult songs and riffs into simple, approachable pieces that makes them playable. Even for me, one of the biggest guitar hacks of all time.

I learn guitar so slowly that I’ve broken the rewind button on YouTube. I never met a B chord I liked. But last week, with Angela’s guidance, I learned Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” just to prep for going to the show. You never know when you might be called up on stage (once upon a time in your wildest dreams…).

I was able to say hello to her before the show and she was gracious, sweet and humble. Then, she hit the stage and transformed into a rock diva. I had seen The Family Jules play before at the Sound Room. They did a remarkably inventive instrumental Beatles tribute. And on this night, with Angela’s accompaniment, they delivered again. Great band at a great venue.

It was an inspiring night that made me so appreciative of seeing this kind of talent from 15 feet away, knowing that Angela’s performances are worthy of arenas and Spotify Top 10 lists. And it feels right to support the local music scene in Oakland.

The Sound Room, which is worth noting has terrific sound, was selected by DownBeat Magazine as “one of the best places in the world to hear jazz” four years in a row. It is only blocks away from Oakland’s major venues, The Fox Theater and The Paramount, in the Uptown neighborhood. Maybe Oakland is coming back?

To quote another band, “What a lady, what a night.”