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Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe at Royale

Photo by Allison Murphy

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
Royale
Boston, Mass.
February 7

As popular as Karl Denson’s Sticky Fingers revue has been, he’s also taken some knocks: The shows are fun, but not transcendent; they’re exciting, but not original; or that Karl and his wily Tiny Universe brethren don’t have much to add when covering this canonized batch of country- and R&B flavored early ‘70s rock music.

Well, what was expected, exactly? A total free-jazz reinvention of “Wild Horses”? Like most cover-a-classic-album shows, it’s a oneoff, easy-to-please concept that had a little bit more life breathed into it—an East Coast run of dates—based on its initial success and the fact that Karl and Co. wanted to do something a little different on tour before their next album. It’s a scene based on improvisational music, but it often doesn’t pay to over-think things.

Boston’s Royale was the first stop of the tour and the band changed their previous, two-part format to make the presentation one long set, with about 40 minutes of no-holds barred KDTU upfront, then a shift into the Stones material with Anders Osborne and his flame-throwing guitar on board, followed by a quick encore. The band picked up momentum when the Stones portion of the set started, but also lost depth. They patiently explored the KDTU songs, particularly a furiously jammed out “Satisfied,” whereas the second “Brown Sugar” kicked in—“This song is about interracial sex!” bellowed Karl—they served Stones songs as shots: lined up, knocked back and definitely not sipped. A few guests blinked through: Anders’ bassist Carl Dufresne played acoustic guitar on “Wild Horses” and keyboardist Paul Wolstencroft—well-known in Boston rock and jam circles, and now, with Denson buddies Slightly Stoopid—turned up for “I Got the Blues.”

What was most interesting is where KDTU placed the bulk of its emphasis. The band played fairly faithfully until “You Gotta Move” turned into a haggard howl-at-the-moon moment, “Bitch” throttled and “Sister Morphine”—which has been the unexpected showpiece of these concerts—sprawled out into a psychedelic, percussion-heavy haze, becoming a far cry from the frustratingly safe “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” that had come 20 minutes earlier.

This “Sister” was a beast of a jam, and it made you wonder—just for a second before it was on to the next one and Anders and KDTU guitarist DJ Williams were locking horns for a “Dead Flowers” axe fight—what might have been if the band had really looked at re-interpreting this material.