A Colorful Night with Sweet Leda and Lower Case Blues
Words by Liz Wyatt
Photos by Steve Satzberg
Sweet Leda and Lower Case Blues recently shook the roof off Rams Head on Stage, taking turns with each other on their sets then mashing sounds together with dueling guitar and drums for a one time only performance. Sweet Leda decided to celebrate 20 yrs of marriage by having a party at Rams Head, so our tickets felt more like anniversary presents from fans and friends.
Julie Cymek, sweet vocals of Sweet Leda, started the night on Jan. 30 by asking us to escape the world of politics and social media, admit we’re tired but remember we’re survivors that need to stay united. Nice segue to the first song about protecting your energy “The Light.” Julie sang, “I’m bringing the light, bringing the love,” hitting an amazingly powerful high note followed by the audience roaring. You can catch their cult classic performance of this song on Youtube.
Watch Sweet Leda perform “The Light” live on YouTube:
Julie’s husband Jaime Horrigan with bee bop rhythm and two special guests Rahsaan “Wordslave” Eldridge and Ricky Wise joined her for “The Maze.” Julie took to keyboard and vocals for a soulful hypnotically steady pulsing painful repetition of “why did you choose me, get me out.” Taking turns with Sweet Leda, Lower Case Blues stepped up with a long meandering vamp of “You Can Have My Pocket Change.” They started with a solo electric riff that turned into a heart racing shredding emotive pace like a cocaine heart attack, the bass vibrating my chair “You can have MY pocket change!!”
So glad I was sitting down, I may have fainted. Thankfully they slowed down with a classic blues tune that would make the Blues Brothers proud. The dance floor was full for their funky bass “Let’s get funky, Groovy as you wanna be.” Drums pounding in my chest, the bass ringing in my ears, the electric guitar and bass were dueling back and forth like a speeding roller coaster. I had to close my eyes to hear it all. I swear I heard colors.
Next, we slowed down with some heartache riffs vamping for the dance floor who were all in step, the electric guitar holding the notes till they hurt. We flowed into a mellow Tennessee whiskey smooth “Wanna howl at the moon,” the crowd gave a chorus of howling on cue.
Long slow moon lit notes made the night sultry and I remembered that when traveling at the speed of light time stops. “I howl at the moon,” shook my chakras and I found myself alone in the universe surrounded by a kaleidoscope of rhythms. I had to get up to dance.
Julie stepped on stage with a piano solo “Open Your Eyes.” She recommended we all try something new. She remembered just trying the piano and being thankful she stretched herself. It gets easier. “Open your eyes, find something new, the world ain’t gonna change for you!” The tempo picked up with the classic “I Put A Spell On You,” with all the fervor and naked emotional craze the female heart can wail “Because You’re Mine!”
Sweet Leda have been wailing their new school funk and soul with old school blues and rock across the mid-Atlantic for the last decade. Their latest album Mid South Audio Sessions 2025 is their first live album; you can find them on Spotify.
Lower Case Blues has fire funk and soul and thankfully have gigs running through Rehoboth, MD. If you make it to the beach this year do yourself a favor and look them up. Be prepared to dance your heart out. I thought my heart was dead but that night brought me back to life. “That’s what music is for,” my photographer chimed in. How true.
Here are some photos of Sweet Leda performing live at Rams Head on Stage on Jan. 30, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
Here are some photos of Lower Case Blues performing live at Rams Head on Stage on Jan. 30, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
