Joesreview

Gary Bostwick
Griffin Copy Editor

           Buffalo-based Khyber rocked Broadway Joe's for a lively party crowd Friday, Feb. 9. They played for about three hours and left no one disappointed.
          Khyber in their present form are John Grandy (lead vocals), Sam Graci (lead guitar), Dan Burckhalter (bass, keyboards), and Mike Shinnick (drums). Grandy, a Canisius graduate, is the originator of Khyber, and Connecticut native Shinnick as of 1998 is the most recent addition.
          Grandy started Khyber as a Pink Floyd/Doors tribute band, but eventually hoped that the band would compose originals. Friday night, Khyber gave the fans a taste of both worlds.
          The quartet opened with some Doors favorites, but soon after Khyber jammed several originals from their 2000 release Scarecrow Emotion. Grandy displayed his mellow side during "Come Inside (Part 1), Scarecrow Emotion's dark lead track. Then the band boasted their harder, funkier side with "Pull Down," a song full of sexual metaphors and Red Hot Chili Peppers undertones. Later in the show, Khyber emphasized the theme of the night with "Drinkin'," the ninth track on their new CD. All of the originals sounded well-rehearsed and very radio-friendly.
           Having performed some of their best original tracks, Khyber then entered the Doors again. Grandy's voice was so reminiscent of Morrison's old classics like "Waiting for the Sun,""People are Strange,""In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,""Love Her Madly," and "UnKnown Soldier" that only my eyes seemed to be deceiving me.
          Graci's guitar work was truly flawless on the Doors covers and cleverly composed on their originals. Burckhalter and Shinnick led the rhythm of the band strongly through all of the tracks; during one of their originals, Burckhalter played the keyboard and bass simultaneously, a truly amazing feat.
          It's understood that some people might not really want to listen to cover bands, but rest assured that Khyber has their own affair with psychedelic, funky, classic and progressive rock influenced originals. Anyhow, when your at the bar, you usually want to hear some familiar tunes; singing off key, however, is frowned upon.
          You can check out Khyber on the web for downloadable MP3's at http://www.garageband.com and search for "Khyber," or chill with them and your favorite beverage at Central Park Grill on March 23rd. See you there.