The Stephen Neeper Band played the middle slot of the evening at Round 2 of the Times Musicians Showcase, winning the Round and advancing to the March 1 finals. The five-piece absolutely slayed, with a ridiculously tight set of amped-up blues rock that drew from points all along the history of the genre, from the funky shuffle of late-'70s, "Some Girls"-era Stones to the swaggering-yet-soulful stomp of early Black Crowes. Oh, and then there's the guitar-god shredding of frontman Stephen Neeper, which was pure, blistering six-string madness.
Judge Grayson Shelton wrote, "Good transition, great stage show. You can tell they play a shit-ton of shows." He also noted that "it's the Stephen Neeper Band, but every musician is solid, great collection of musicians top-to-bottom."
Guest judge Rodney Block appreciated the "great outros/intros —love your transitions between one selection to the next." He noted "overall great stage energy — it counts to make the audience feel like a part of the performance."
Judge Mandy McBryde wrote, "Gigantic. These guys are doin' it right," while CT summed it up succinctly: "Nailed it. Bad ass. Thank you."
More photos and a video after the jump.