Saxophone, Sunglasses and Soulive
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Funk musicians are cooler than the rest of us — like, a lot cooler. First off, they get to wear sunglasses all the time. Do you know how awesome that looks? Second, they say things like “alright” and “hell yeah” on endless repeat without anyone getting annoyed — in fact, it only sounds better each time. And finally, there’s the music — shit’s tight. What a lucky bunch o’ mothasuckas.
These deep thoughts occurred to me a few nights ago at the Rozatones/Soulive show at the State Theatre downtown. Organized by the Ithaca College Bureau of Concerts, the event drew a large crowd of gyrating college students and a preponderance of good vibes. Who knew we kids could dance to anything but T-Pain?
The night got off to a magnificent start with the Rozatones, a seven-piece outfit from that other school in town. Everything about these guys shouted exuberance, and there’s few things as fun as watching great musicians having a hell of a time. All very talented, they played off each other remarkably well, each tune coming off tight and clean. And they were some damn funky numbers. Lead singer/guitarist/vixen Revi Roza led the way, her sexy vocals setting the mood as the band played spiritedly for nearly an hour. Fantastic songwriting, great chops and only a few problems with fills and transitions. The highlight was big man on campus Mikey Conerty, sporting a retro silver shirt (like I said, they’re cool people), waving his trumpet around and grinding his hips in one of the most energetic performances I’ve ever seen on stage. Damn.
And that was just the first part of the funk. Things got positively crazy when Soulive got out on stage. This trio, originally from Woodstock, N.Y., have made their name in recent years as supremely talented jazz-funk musicians with a knack for both the groove and the solo. Guitarist Erik Crasno was impeccable Saturday night, wailing away at center stage on everything from funk-drenched dance numbers to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Lenny.” That’s not to say brothers Alan and Neal Evans didn’t blow the crowd away, too — especially the latter. Boy, can that kid do some crazy things on the keyboard. The band didn’t limit itself, playing a satisfying variety of tunes ranging from slower blues rock to jumpy jazz. Every which way they turned, they were fantastic.
But nothing during the show compared to the appearance of Sam Kininger. This saxophonist, past member of Soulive and living embodiment of soul positively brought down the house with his surprise arrival. Remember what I said about sunglasses? Yeah, Sammy got the memo. If ever there was a cool cat, this is the guy. His astounding virtuosity ripped open Soulive’s sound, and there was no turning back. For the two-plus hours they played, they had the crowd going wild.
Besides the energy and the enthusiasm, one thing that distinguished Saturday’s show from your standard rock concert was the frightening level of musicianship. Everybody up on that stage has got some serious chops. It’s not every day you get to listen to eleven superb musicians wildly enjoying themselves while telling you to “shake your moneymaker.” Soulive may not be back around again for a little while, but do yourself a favor and check out the Rozatones at the Lost Dog Cafe on the 28th after Medeski, Martin and Wood play the State. And don’t forget to bring your shades.