Root Down In The Shadow recently caught up with Stefanie Berecz of The Right Now, taking the opportunity to learn more about this intriguing band before their set at World Cafe Live!
Here are some excerpts from that conversation!
Root Down In The Shadow: Who's a bigger inspiration for you, Sharon Jones (of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings) or Charles Bradley (of Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band)?
Stefanie Berecz: It's got to be Sharon Jones and her never give up attitude!
RDITS: What came first your sound or the band?
SB: First was meeting Brendan O'Connell. He's the mastermind. Every band needs a Brendan O'Connell! I didn't realize I would be in this style band. I grew up on Pop, R&B, and Soul. Really, all the pieces came together after meeting Brendan. The first album was a learning process with the band. We were still developing, still evolving. Album number two, Gets Over You, is where we really embraced the vibe, the feel, the moment rather than perfection of "a sound"
RDITS: The new album was recorded in one week? How was that possible, for how tight the album sounds?
SB: Each winter we hole up as a band. Last January's (2011) session gave us all the demos we needed to be ready to record with Sergio Rios in Los Angeles last summer! Having the same players for the last four years is also a great advantage too!
RDITS: The Right Now is unsigned. How has it been accomplishing these albums?
SB:; We've been completely self funded so far. We've had some luck and some well paying gigs, and a little bit of credit card! It helps that we all have day jobs.
RDITS: What comes first for The Right Now in a song.
SB: Usually a baseline, drums and a hooky melody, then the lyrics!
RDITS: You play in a very hard to define genre. For those getting to know the band, who would you put in a playlist with The Right Now?
SB: Fitz and the Tantrums, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone.....
RDITS: Heroes of the Scene?
SB: Growing up? Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross & Lionel Richie
Now? Adele, Alicia Keys, Grace Potter!
RDITS: Was there ever any consideration of Stefanie & The Right Now?
SB: There was, and I like being a focal point, but the sound is the band. I love just being in a group!
RDITS: Would the above "The Right Now playlist" be any different without the vocals?
SB: No, our sound is not defined by my vocals.
RDITS: If you were given the reigns to plan a The Right Now Festival; who's on the lineup? Dead or alive?
SB: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Chaka Khan, James Brown, Anthony Hamilton, Charles Bradley...
RDITS: Would you be the headliner?
SB: No, I'd do what I can to make sure we saw the full set from Chaka!
After an incredible funktastic set by Ikebe Shakedown, The Right Now came on for their headline set at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live. The first thing that came to mind was the presentation. Stefanie totally blew me away. An hour earlier she was just the super-nice hometown girl, with a Mid-West-Chicagoan charm talking about the band she plays with. On stage she was a Chicagoan J-Lo, a complete powerhouse that took control of the room with her stunning looks and outfit, aptly taking center stage amongst the synchronized sax playing, guitars, drums, keyboards, and backing vocals!
The album to live conversion was excellent for this Funk-Soul band. Stefanie's vocals and stage presence were fantastic, taking the lead on album and show starter 'I Can't Speak For You', showing off the Whitney Houston influence on 'I Could Kiss You' and reminding the crowd of her vocal prowess on unreleased 'That's Enough' and single '7 to 10'!
As mentioned above, it wasn't just Stefanie and The Right Now. The band also did an incredible job with the material. The only missing item of note from the album was the sax part on 'I Could Kiss You'. However, the Right Now more than made up for it on 'Til It Went Wrong'. First the synchronized flute playing was incredible, only to be out done by the sweet instrumetal ending of the song. They invited the horns from Ikebe Shakedown to rotate in with The Right Now sax players. It was sax, trombone, trumpet, sax, and sax each taking a turn, and then going back around three to four times, before a symphonic funk closure.
It was really hard to find a favorite part of the show. All the players were great, the funk bass lines, the Dap King style guitar, the soulful and spot on sax players, all of it was great. Really the only downfall of the whole night was the sparse weekday crowd. However, those who were enlightened enough to be there were totally into the band and were treated to one hell of a show!
SET LIST - The Right Now
Title - Original Album (or original artist)
1, 'I Can't Speak For You' - Gets Over You
2. 'You Will Know' - Carry Me Home
3. 'I Am Who I Say I Am' - If I Wanted To c/w I Am Who I Say I Am single
4. 'Good Man' - Gets Over You
5. 'Should've Told Me' - Gets Over You
6. '7 to 10' - 7 to 10 single
7. 'If I Wanted To' - If I Wanted To c/w I Am Who I Say I Am single
8. 'I Could Kiss You (I Could Cry)' - Gets Over You
9. 'He Used To Be' - Gets Over You
10. 'Can't Keep Running' - Gets Over You
11. 'Til It Went Wrong; - Gets Over You
12. 'Half As Much' - Gets Over You
13. 'I’ll Get Down' - Carry Me Home
14. 'That's Enough' - ** new **
15. 'Tell Everyone The Truth' - Gets Over You
**Encore **
16. 'Nobody' - Carry Me Home
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