REVIEW of WPA (Works Progress Administration) superstar band at Largo in L.A., Oct 6

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WPA REVIEW
Performance at Largo in Los Angeles, Tuesday, October 6, 2009
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By Joel Okida, for the Acoustic Americana Music Guide
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WPA, aka Works Progress Administration, is a superb conglomerate of ace musicians who have put together a collection of songs that are all as rich as they are varied. This band can stretch out across several genres like they are the house band for all things Americana. The musicianship is solid as a rock (and roll) and they let each other shine in both songs and solos.
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The core members of sibs Sara and Sean Watkins (of Nickel Creek), Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), and Luke Bulla (Lyle Lovett) are a quartet of solid singers who can back up the vocals with some sharp instrumentals. At the Largo show, semi-regulars Greg Leisz (Bill Frisell, Joni Mitchell, Dave Alvin), massaged out some very spot-on lapsteel riffs, Benmont Tench (Tom Petty) played the hell out of the house upright piano, Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing) punctuated the rhythms on bass, and local skin spanker, Don Heffington, rocked each number like this could be his old band. The interplay was tight and each song was ripe with melodies juicy and soulful.
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The polished presentation of every song might be due to the many Watkins Family Hour shows (with frequent guests) transferring over from the old Largo haunts to this band, this concert and the tour, but maybe the talent pool here really is not capable of making a mistake, much less doing a less than top notch show. Yet for all this crisp and inspired playing, the band is loose and almost cozy in demeanor. That they get to share the load and make each other's songs shine even brighter makes good company for musician and listener alike.
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The nearly 90 minute show inside the intimate Largo theater carried over to an "after-show" in the Little Room, the adjacent bar, where the Watkins siblings, Phillips, Bulla, Tench, and opening pop vocalist, Molly Henson returned with another 45 minutes of gems.
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This was one of the best shows of the year!
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