Courthouse Center for the Arts

I first heard Aztec Two-Step when I was in college in the '70s. 25 years later, I brought my (much younger) wife to see them. She thought they were great, and so did I. I bought their CD, Highway Signs, (subtitled The 25th Anniversary Concerts). I played it often for a few months then, like most of my CDs, it gathered dust for another 25 years. This winter for some reason I pulled it off the shelf and played it. My 21-year-old daughter Alexandra, now a college student herself, came in from outside, heard the music and said, "Who is that? They're good" She'd never heard Aztec Two-Step but looked them up online and saw they would be playing in Rhode Island in April. "Can we get tickets, Dad?" she asked. And so we did. What a great show. This was not a walk down memory lane. I only had one CD and many of the songs they played at the Courthouse Center that night I'd never heard before. Some were also new. Aztec Two-Step 2l0 artfully combines folk, jazz, country and rock in a seamless and dynamic way. My young daughter was captivated by the group and their music. She is telling all of her friends about the group. Rex Fowler was as good as ever -- his voice is still clear and true and he is an engaging showman. His wife, Dodie Pettit, replaced Rex's longtime partner and lead guitarist, Neal Shulman, when he retired a few years ago. I was a little worried about this, but Dodie has an incredibly fast left hand and plays one hell of an excellent lead guitar. She is a very worthy successor and brings a new dimension to the group. This 2.0 version of Aztec Two-Step is putting out great music and putting on great shows. If you get a chance to see them, do it! You will have a night of fun and great music.