In the intervening months between their official debut and now, the Zac Mac Band have added some new tricks to their set. The best among the newer songs was Warlord, with its atmospheric groove and searing extended jam. The band also debuted the song Cougar (about predatory older ladies, not predatory wild cats) with frontman Zac McIntyre commenting “’bout time you cougars had an anthem.” They also added (for this show anyway) the harmonies of Becky Vinci, a member of the vocal group Rift, to the best effect on 15 Songs.

They opened their set with the radio-ready tunes Red Light and Roll Me Over. Though these are now familiar tracks to their fans, it still took a couple of songs for the band to get the right mix and start to connect with the crowd. After taking a detour through a deliciously creepy version of Creep (in their hands, it always makes me think of something you would hear at a Buffy Summer’s prom), the band hit their stride with The Best Thing and Warlord. Stepping Stone is always a great live jam, and tonight it was a superb example of how this band has come together.

They capped off the night with the amazing track Loaded Gun, Stepping Stone, and their forthcoming single release Highest Level. Proceeds through the month of February for the sale of the Highest Level single (both digital and physical formats) are being donated to Sherry’s House out of Worcester, MA. Additional details are available on their website.

Zac Mac Band setlist
Red Light
Roll Me Over w/ Becky Vinci
15 Songs w/ Becky Vinci
MySpace Heartbreak
Creep
The Best Thing
Warlord
Trap
Cougar
Loaded Gun
Stepping Stone
Highest Level w/ Becky Vinci

A jazzy five-man jam band with funk tendencies, Persian Blue played the opening set at Johnny D’s on a Friday night. Their set started flat but picked up with the addition of vocalist Nina Evans, and from then on, the group put on a sizzling, energetic performance. The tempo definitely picked up when Evans stood in front of the mic, but to their credit, the guys kept it going through a number of substantial jams. Fronted by Shah Hadjebi, Persian Blue is one part guitar, one part bass, one part drums, one part keyboard, and then there is the guy that plays everything else. They closed with a version of No Doubt’s Hella Good that was in some respects better than the original.