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The Day - November 29th, 1999
Reproduced below is an article that was published in The Day, a local newspaper in New London County, CT.Crowd gobbles up Reducers in Thanksgiving tradition
by Rick KosterDay Arts Writer
New London - There is apparently some bitterness in the region over the discontinuation of traditional Thanksgiving Day high school football games between longtime rivals. Not to worry, though. As long as the Reducers have their annual T-day weekend gig at New London's El 'n' Gee Club, at least some sense of our provincial holiday ritual remains sacrosanct.
Indeed, the aura at the show Saturday night was more like the "cocktails and hors d'oeuvres" session of a class reunion than a rock concert and, as the Reducers worked through two-hour-long sets, it was intriguing to see how different songs over their 20-plus-year career were greeted like old friends that haven't been seen in awhile.
And as the beer flowed and acquaintanceships were rekindled, the dance floor became jammed with Reducers devotees; the variety of free-form stylings only served to emphasize the multi-generational demographics of a fan base that poured into the room in such numbers as to have filled the boys with pride. The energy and camaraderie were infectious and impressive, and at the heart of it all, or course, was the music: loud and boisterous and ragged and fun with plenty of sweaty edge to remind use we weren't at the Yes show down the road at Foxwoods.
By this point, it was clear, the Reducers are doing this for love of the music rather than any hopes of Big Career - and one wonders if the same could be said for the Stones or acts with multi-million dollar clothing company or corporate beer sponsorships.
In any case, the Reducers showed few signs of aging, either in appearance, performance, or creativity. New material worked just as well as archival favorites, and covers such as Nick Lowe's '80s anthem "Peace, Love and Undertanding (What's So Funny 'Bout)" were true complements to the whole spirit of the Reducers' collective muse.
For they remain a great rock band - owing as much to Foghat and Mott the Hoople as they do the Clash or Rockpile. The common denominator in any of those groups is their affinity for the nuances and poetry of barroms, and though it's probably a shame the Reducers never became arena rock heroes, a bar is the ideal place to see them ply their magic.
And so it went Saturday night. Anchored by the metronomic precision of drummer Tom Trombley and the contrapuntal, full-neck runs of bassist Steve Kaika, guitarists Peter Detmold and Hugh BIrdsall power-chorded gleefully, the quartet's sense of unity easily discernible in their connect-the-dots approach to lead vocal duties. "San Antone," "Let's Go," "Call That Living," "Subject to Change." "Bums I Used to Know," "Fashion of the Times," "Kid's Game." "Nothing for Christmas," "Your Mother" and on and on - the Reducers not only turned back the clock, they pointed to their musical future.
A high point occurred when old compatriot Roger C. Reale, whose new band the Manchurians opened the night with a locked-in set of Creamish/Rory Gallagher-style blues-rock, joined the Reducers onstage for a few songs from their collaborative 1987 "Wake the Neighbors" EP.