Sun Domingo

Live In Montreal, Marillion Weekend 2009 by Sun Domingo (Rock Ridge Records)

Sun Domingo is the little Atlanta, GA band that could. Live in Montreal is a live document of two nights opening for Marillion and according to the liner notes was a dream come true to play with the legendary band after many years of effort and growth. The band perform eight of the ten songs from their debut album The World’s Alive plus two choice covers (more on those later). In the studio you only get a taste of the band’s dynamics but they’re road horses and they really shine on stage.

Their set opens with a nod to Rush’s Show Don’t Tell in New Love City, a sweetly rocking song with Jason Pomar’s smoky vocals, followed by Saint Teresa, a slinky number with Pomar’s resonating bass and Edgel Groves Jr.’s tasteful guitar putting you in a pleasant mood. But before you think Sun Domingo are a soft rock group, Groves pulls out a tough solo. What Sun Domingo do well is build a warmth in their sound, hugging your ears with harmonized vocals, fingered bass strings, melodic guitar leads and a flavorful mid tempo drums from Nathan Lathouse.

Pomar wraps his voice around Sweetest and Saddest like he’s been anguished for days, tugging on your heartstrings, hitting the highs and lows with emotion. Groves gets the spotlight on the Crowded House song Fingers of Love with his bluesy performance and fiery solos. Mad Maze is an intricate and stunning instrumental with Lathouse really letting loose on his kit. Sun Domingo again tear it up on Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song, perhaps a fitting choice considering they’re a US band playing in Canada with a British headliner. Pomar ably hits those Plant high notes, his bass rumbling along with Groves’ epic guitars and Lathouse playing like a man possessed.

Sun Domingo wrap up their set with Something Face, the hardest track on their studio album, leaving the audience breathless yet wanting more as Groves slides his pick to the highest chords and Lathouse builds the energy even higher, right into a drum solo, the audience cheering along!

Sun Domingo will floor you with their passion and expert playing, revitalizing your love for music in this wasteland of “pop” and Live in Montreal is the place to start bringing back that love. (www.sundomingo.com)

(Review by Bret Miller)