The Greatest Hits of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and a bunch more 1950s/60s rock ‘n’ roll stars proved a terrific fit for the vocal stylings of D. Scott Eads in his one-night-only cabaret showcase Shake The House.

In a sixteen-song set spanning the years from 1954’s “That’s All Right” (recorded by a then 19-year-old Elvis) to The King Of Rock And Roll’s 1968 smash “A Little Less Conversation,” Eads had the Sterling’s Upstairs At The Federal audience cheering such classics as Lewis’s “Great Balls Of Fire,” Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” Dion’s “The Wanderer,” The Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie” and “Money (That’s What I Want),” and Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman.”

And since sixteen songs were not enough to satisfy the enthusiastic crowd, Eads’ encore medley showcased a trio of Beatles hits, the evening’s sole salute to the British Invasion other than The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me Babe” earlier on.

Though Eads’ first Upstairs At The Federal had him in Bing Crosby crooner mode, it’s those ‘50s/early-‘60s rock-&-roll classics that suit the handsome, personable West Virginia country boy turned L.A. sophisticate’s voice best.

Between-song patter featured plenty of fascinating music-history tidbits, but it was when Eads’ started belting out the hits (backed by David Arana on piano, Steve Gregory on guitar, Jerry Watts on bass, and Dave Johnstone on drums) that the hour-long set truly took flight and Eads’ rock ‘n’ roll pipes got their chance to soar.

Sterlings Upstairs At The Federal, 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood.
http://nh.thefederalbar.com/

–Steven Stanley
September 29, 2019