On Tuesday, The Main Squeeze shared a cover of the classic rock staple “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos. The song sees the entire band performing together, a rare sight these days, at The Squeeze House.
The Indiana-bred, L.A.-based quintet is no stranger to taking on the top hits of yesteryear, as they have also covered Black Sabbath‘s “War Pigs”, Pink Floyd‘s “Have A Cigar”, Jimi Hendrix‘s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, The Temptations‘ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”, and many more.
Though it premiered this week, the video immediately feels vintage as it shows all five band members performing together, maskless. But the song’s opening query, “What do you do when you get lonely,” is immediately reminiscent of the current isolation many around the country still feel as a result of the pandemic. While it doesn’t have the same layered texture of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman from the original Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, hearing guitarist Max Newman rip through the iconic guitar riff is still as satisfying.
Meanwhile, singer Corey Frye makes the song his own as he does with any of the band’s classic rock covers. Eventually, the time comes for keyboardist Ben “Smiley” Silverstein to take center stage during the song’s piano breakdown. Smiley steps to the challenge and does so with one foot in the pool as he delivers the mid-song breather, as visions of concerts past flash before your eyes like the scene in Goodfellas when police discover the bodies of the Lufthansa heist participants.
Following the conclusion of the song, the video cuts to what appears to be an impromptu-jam session where The Main Squeeze turn the song’s ending coda into a front-porch sing-along. Watch The Main Squeeze cover “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos below:
The Main Squeeze — “Layla” (Derek and the Dominos) — Live from The Squeeze House
[Video: MainSqueezeMusic]
[H/T Jambands]