Michael Doherty's Music Log: Kelly's Lot at Therapy At The Roar Room, 11-16-25 Concert Review

Kelly's Lot playing "Mama's Blues"

Kelly's Lot delivered two delicious sets of blues and blues-related music last night at the Roar Room. It was not the full band, but four members, and so referred to playfully in the concert promotions as "Kelly's Lot 4 Wheel Drive." The band was made up of Kelly Zirbes on lead vocals, Perry Robertson on guitar and backing vocals, Matt McFadden on bass and backing vocals, and Mike Sauer on drums. The venue is called Therapy At The Roar Room, and Kelly Zirbes mentioned how the blues itself is good therapy, both for the musicians and the audience. Music in general, and perhaps the blues in particular, can help us make sense of a world that has gone sideways, or at least make us feel better about living in it. And Kelly's Lot is all about connecting with folks and offering a hand during the hard times, as well celebrating the good times.

"Rise Up"

Yesterday was a grey, rainy day, a perfect day for the blues. Though, really, every day in these strange times is a perfect day for the blues. It was an early show, scheduled to start at 5 p.m. or thereabouts. At 5:18, Kelly asked the crowd, "How are you all doing?" Lots of performers ask that question as a way of saying hello, but Kelly truly wants to know. You can hear that desire to really connect in her voice and in the music. She wasn't even on the microphone yet when she asked that, but was in front of the stage, still a part of the crowd. The band opened the show with "Train," a song with a delicious, funky rhythm, and featuring a great guitar lead by Perry. Perry also delivered some impressive guitar work on "Rise Up," which followed. And very quickly the audience was immersed in the music, getting the therapy we all so desperately needed. There were some great grooves, as in "Aces" and "It Ain't Always." And that last line of "It Ain't Always" stays with us: "But it's always you and me." And in that moment, it was about the band and the audience. Mike delivered some fantastic stuff on drums on "Can't Take My Soul." And then Perry switched to acoustic guitar for "Mama's Blues," a slower, soulful number featuring a beautiful vocal performance by Kelly. "I'm called to the music." Oh yes! Perry remained on acoustic guitar for "Taking Time," a love song. "When I think of you, it turns me all around." Matt delivered some seriously cool stuff on bass. We should all be taking time for love. What else is there?

"Hush Up"

"Everything is crazy in the world today," Kelly sings at the beginning of "Just Tell Me The Truth." And while that song might seem like a reasonable demand, it is also really about listening. It's going to take those connections, and honesty, for us to "find a way to heal," just as she sings here. That was followed by "Boogie Bus." "Get on board," we were urged. And by then, I think everyone was firmly on board. The band followed that with "Reason For The Blues," "Tired" and "Mr. Chairman." "Tired" in particular featured a fantastic vocal performance. The first set concluded with a playful rendition of "Hush Up," with a lot of audience interaction. The first set ended at 6:25 p.m.

"Woe Is Me"

At 6:49 p.m., the band was back on stage for a second set of great blues. In fact, the set began with one of those perennial blues lines, "I woke up this morning." The first line of "Come To This." That was followed by "Woe Is Me," a song with a great groove for the group of folks dancing in front of the stage. That led straight into "Boom Boom Boom," which in turn led right into "Revolving Door." "So hold on tight, let's get this right." It seems this band gets everything right. "Lock Me Up" was a delight, a number that took the audience back to another time, and even included a cha-cha-cha ending. "Anyone here believe in personal responsibility?" Kelly asked after that song. And several people in the audience playfully responded, "No!" As I mentioned, the band always strives to create a strong bond with the audience, and the audience feels that, responds to it, joking with the musicians, feeling a part of the course of the show. The band then went into an energetic rendition of "Nobody Here But Me." That was followed by "Redbone," with Perry on acoustic guitar. It was so great to see these guys play this song again, even if Kelly got lost at one point. "Give it up for Matt for covering my ass," Kelly said afterward. That was followed by another song I hadn't seen the band do in years, "Strong Girl," which is actually from the same album as "Redbone." It's a hard rock number, and the crowd got into it. "I am not an angry chick," Kelly said at the end of that one.

"Let It Breathe"

Kelly delivered a beautiful, moving performance on "Let It Breathe," with Perry on acoustic guitar. Kelly then said, "Let's do something fun," and the band went into "Just A Heart," which has some delightfully playful elements. That was followed by "Savior," a wonderful song from the band's new album, Late Bloomer, one that includes some nice whistling by Kelly. They followed that with "Took It Back," a seriously cool song, and then with a cover of "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" with a little nod to James Bond. They wrapped up the second set with the high-energy "Drive." The show ended at 7:57 p.m.

Set List

Set I