Big Sam's Funky Nation
photo by Ben Thacker
Transit Lounge, Miami
Friday, July 24, 2009
Better Than: Jambalaya
The Review:
New Orleans funkmeister Big Sam Williams brought the bayou to Brickell Friday night, for a regular old boot-stompin', booty-shakin' hootenanny at a bustling Transit Lounge. The band of six, led by large - and - in - charge Williams on slide trombone and vocals, tore through the night with two sets of its skunk - funk fire, inflicting mortal grooves on the masochistic masses.
Big Sam and the Nation have been bringing their brassy feel-good funk to New Orleans and beyond since 2001. Their high - energy, rock - influenced stage show, whether at a huge festival or a down - home dive bar, showcases the diverse talents of an all-star lineup.
Of particular note are drummer [Chocolate] Milk and bassist Eric Vogel.
Milk's double-kick pedal paradiddles and one-handed drum rolls, along with
Vogel's invisible-finger fast-thumb strum style, set the fat funk pace
that ripped through the place like a funk train. Both indulged in
mind-boggling solos toward the end of the second set, provoking shrieks
of delight and hoots of approval from audience members and bandmates
alike.
Trumpet player Adam "Da Phessah" Baham, Williams' right hand and fellow
front man, showed remarkable skill not only on the horn, but in singing
and dancing as well. The two kept the party live from the get-go with
choreographed "second-lines" (a uniquely New Orleans style of street
dance) and MC-style call-and-response routines.
The sweat literally
cascaded out from under Big Sam's white Kangol, as he danced and sang
and blew through covers like Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and Otis
Redding's "Hard to Handle," as well as a slew of original compositions
and improvised jazz funk jams. A highlight of the night was BSFN's
rendition of the hokey pokey, which had the whole place putting its
whole self in and taking its whole self out and shaking that shit all
the funk about.
After the show, fans and bewildered barflies swarmed the smiling band
for hugs and handshakes, unable to conceal their zeal. Big Sam's Funky
Nation, purveyors of hot party funk, left the building burning and
yearning for more.
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias:
A minor annoyance at Transit is the view-obstructing support column directly in front of the stage.
Random Detail: Despite their enthusiasm and love for the band,
stage-front fans learned to leave a (small) horn-spit buffer between
themselves and the brass-men's flailing antics.
By the Way: Look out for BSFN's fourth album, set for release later this year.
