Bands that generate as much buzz and as many instantaneous fans out of first-time listeners are few and far between, but Brooklyn’s Black Taxi rank among the special few. This past month, the Tri-state’s population of Black Taxi lovers expanded exponentially, substantiated by sold-out shows at The Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom in New York City, and an impressive turnout at Seaside Tavern in Stamford, Connecticut.
Selling beyond sold out, the Mercury Lounge in New York, NY overflowed with Black Taxi followers on May 2, 2009. Together, Ezra Huleatt’s distinctive, high-octane vocals (trumpet, glockenspiel, keys, and more), gyrations, patriotic body paint, flag sarong, and bevy of instrumental gadgets, Bill Mayo’s (guitar/back vocals) superb guitar skills and streamlined solos, Krisana Sopongpong’s (bass) dynamic support on the low end, and Jason 
Holmes’ (drums/back vocals) driving and dead right beat, bred an undeniably magnetic stage presence that explains BT’s unfailing appeal. “Take a Ticket” kicked off their gig with an intricate rhythmic intertwining of Holmes' spot-on percussion and Huleatt’s bass drum banter, and was followed by a funky and smooth “Love Song for a Ghost.” (Recently, after taking a whirl-wind, one-day ride on The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus [www.lennonbus.org/], the band emerged from the studio-on-wheels with a new music video and stellar recording of this track.) The jiving jam-packed Ballroom had a ball with “It’s a Ball,” and the Black Taxi's liveliness soared to impossible new heights on “Wanted Man.” Executing this selection from their 2008 EP, Huleatt catapulted himself into the air with ‘Van Halen’ jumps and pranced proudly in his red, white, and blue. The song list gathered more steam with an ‘organ’-driven, bluesy slow-jam, “Get to Know You” (Get cozy with this track at groupee.com/displaycontent/content/blacktaxi_session), buoyant and bouncy “Allan and Ruth,” mesmeric and melodic “Vanilla Silver,” a riveting “Up Here for Thinking.” “Up Here” put Black Taxi enthusiasts down for dancing, and sexy “Swagger” did just that. The signature syncopated glockenspiel lines on “Pretty Momma” (a featured track on Fountrack.com’s Winter 2009 Compilation as well as the new web comedy Merrime.com) drove front-row fanatics wild. Available now on Groupee.com for an in-studio performance, “Shoeshine” displayed Mayo’s effortlessly complex riffs, meshed with tambourine and trumpets over tense tri-part harmonies that produced another infectiously danceable tune. The encore, beginning with a slower-paced “Can’t Bring Myself to Care,” concluded the rambunctious evening with a freewheeling “Don’t Count Me Out” from the BT’s first EP.
A couple weeks later, Black Taxi headed out of town to Stamford, Connecticut, to play Seaside Tavern where the entire night showcased their own music in addition to “songs we didn’t write.” The relaxed atmosphere allowed fans to mingle and congratulate the musicians 
between their three full sets. Interspersed among a multitude of released and unreleased BT originals, including “Head on a Pike,” “Do or Die,” “Church Girl,” and “Never Met a Girl Like You Before,” were cleverly crafted covers. “Last Night” by the Strokes, Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” the Greek folk-tune-turned-rock-classic, “Miserlou,” made infamous by Pulp Fiction, and a tantalizing take on the Beatles’ “Come Together” stirred fans into a 60’s frenzy. On BT’s version of Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” Holmes took on lead vocals; and Huleatt replaced a few of the original's guitar solos with trumpet, giving the classic a unique Black Taxi twist. Fans left feeling the experience of a memorable and rare evening of music, privileged to partake in a Black Taxi marathon.
After participating in this year’s Mountain Jam Festival on May 29, Black Taxi made their debut appearance at the Bowery Ballroom on June 5. Not surprisingly, the band sold out another show, joined by electro-trio Blip Blip Bleep, easy-listening Echosuite, 
and rock outfit Deadbeat Darling. Decked out in eye-catching white loafers, Huleatt strutted his stuff in a dapper skinny-tie get-up and a mask of mysterious make-up as the capacity crowd rocked off their rockers to “Shoeshine,” “Mobius Strip,” “Pretty Momma,” and “Up Here for Thinking.” A brand new “Push” pushed the pace of the set and the masses toward the stage, ratcheting up hope for a future Black Taxi record. Treating Black Taxi buffs to “Vanilla Silver,” “Take a Ticket,” “Love Story for a Ghost,” “It’s a Ball,” and “Don’t Count Me Out,” and executing song after song with their trade-mark verve, the band topped off a triumphant evening, sure to capture future spots at this legendary venue.
Before hitting the studio this summer, Black Taxi will play gigs around town, Piano’s on June 27, Le Poisson Rouge on July 17, NYC's 9th Annual Rocks Off Boat Cruise on August 6, and Rack ‘n Roll in Stamford, Connecticut on August 7. If you have not already taken a spin with this brilliant band, be sure to take a thrilling ride at www.blacktaxi.com or www.myspace.com/blacktaximusic.
