by Kurt "Swingcat" Johnson When first hearing Big Dume's debut CD Inside My Head, this writer thought this is pretty cool, a mix of alternative rock, an undercurrent of jazz and some blues elements. Nice! And with a hottie blond lead singer, hmmm, this could be a cool band to go see. So when covering their show at Gresham's Pub 181, this writer was expecting a pleasant evening of alternative rock and jazz. What they did was some of the grittiest, greasiest, grimiest, grooving blues heard since covering blues and classic rock bands. And that includes blues legends at the Waterfront Blues Festival. With a mix of heavy rock, and very modern blues grooves they shook the crowd with shock and awe. A three-piece band from Malibu, Calif., the band is Brandon Jenner on vocals, guitar and keys; Leah Felder on vocals and keys; and Chris Steele on drums and percussion. They also appear with guest bass players. On this evening, the show was opened with the Portland alternative rock band Autumn Blue laying down a rocking set. Big Dume members all live together in a beach house in Malibu. The band has some star-level heritage. Guitarist Jenner is Olympic Champion Bruce Jenner's son and was one of the stars of the Fox Network television show Princes of Malibu. Keyboardist Felder's dad is Don Felder, guitar player with The Eagles for 25 years. Drummer Steele's claim to fame is that his brother Chris Steele plays guitar and sings in Autumn Blue and also hosts Karaoke at Pub 181 during the week, hence the hook-up for the Pub 181 show. Big Dume's show consists of two parts. The first is a completely electric set featuring Felder's torch-blues singing and strutting stage presence. With long, flowing blond hair and a body to die for, there's both elements of Gwen Stefani and Debbie Harry. But Felder transcends them both. With sass and attitude, she struts and slithers around the stage and strikes the listener hard and fast like a cobra! Add vocals akin to Susan Tedeschi meeting Etta James and you get the picture. Simply captivating. As a musical unit, Big Dume lays down a thundering groove on their blues pieces, yet in their acoustic set, it floats and sways. On their original composition Mexico, Jenner leads with vocals and acoustic guitar while Felder backs him with keys and harmonies. Steele performs unusual percussion, sitting on a big wood box (looks like a subwoofer) played with his left hand, and a small conga-like drum with a brush. The effect is ethereal with a lightness yet grinding underlying beat. And so it goes. Together just over two years, Big Dume is receiving national-level recognition. Band Manager Erik Shafer explains, "The CD's in every store from Walmart to Target, CD Baby and digitally on the internet. The CD has been released in conjunction with the Fox Network TV Show Princes of Malibu in which Brandon was one of the stars. It's a diverse sounding record, with jazz, blues and alternative elements. We're looking to promote the CD for a year or two, then put up another CD." Each band member adds something unique and adds to the continuing evolution of their sound. Jenner explains, "We're still evolving and always will. We're open to all different styles of music as shown on the CD. It's a just a good time. There's no rules. I'm a big Jimi Hendrix fan. I like mistakes. I stopped woodshedding stuff. I just try to listen. I play what I like, not just how it sounds but how it feels. I connect with brutal honesty. You can't be inhibited. No matter what you think of yourself, it's important to dig deep and let it all hang out. And that's exactly what I do." Vocalist Felder describes her role; "I'm the icing on the cake. I'm NOT the flour. I bring a whole other dimension with my vocals. I'm the only estrogen on stage. I'm the only pair of tits on stage so those help. I'm the sass. I put my heart in it. I put a lot of soul in it. When it's working, I get a lot of catcalls. My stage presence helps people loosen up and gets them up to dance. And that's what it's all about!" Drummer Chris Steele talks about what he brings; "I lay down the groove and fill in any holes that are there. You can do a lot off the drums harmonically. If I play stuff, others will play off it. If I play loud and angry then the band will play loud and angry. When the crowd sees someone playing passionately and working hard, the crowd knows it's for real and that turns heads." With a sassy and brassy lead singer, heavy in-the-pocket blues grooves and smooth flowing jazz undercurrent, Big Dume is an act you don't want to miss. Much has been said about the future of the blues. When you listen to Big Dume, you come to the realization that this is what the future of the blues needs to be and Portland's Waterfront Blues Festival needs to book this band. Peter Dammann are you listening??? You can see more of Big Dume at their website www.bigdume.com.