Live Cuts: Soulive Get Down

Soulive pt. 1 - Live Independent SF 05-15-09


Soulive pt. 2 - Live Independent SF 05-15-09


Recording my live cuts series at San Francisco's Independent couldn't get better. No searches, no accusatory glares at my hand held recording device which might just look explosive, and an amazing sound system. You know, I really need to research the legality behind what I'm doing.

Anyway, Soulive brought the heat! Three hours of the heat. They jumped off on the pure funk tip fresh from their new album, Up Here, piecing together a revitalized arrangement of Michael Viner's breakdance anthem, Apache. Peep the Soulive pt. 1 live cut right above. Listen to the brass section, the Shady Horns, just carry that groove to the funkified oblivion of the mothership! Singer songwriter Nigel Hall impressed everyone with the diversity of his flow, covering the works of James Brown and Curtis Mayfield with a soulful crooning completely idionsyncratic to his own style. Yet, Soulive went far beyond rejuvenating the classic grooves; they funkified their way into new space rock territory and funky soul outer reaches and uplifting call and response jams.

They arranged the nearly three hour set into a coherent meditation on the funk. The band streamlined their meandering styles with an expert subtlety, giving credence to their efforts as a tightly nit band. Yet, each personality had its time to shine. Each composition opened up endless solo improvisation on the drums, the horns, the keyboards and the organs, the guitars. . . the unstoppable grooves. At one point in the show, guitarist Eric Krasno and keyboardist Neal Evans calmly left the stage to imbibe in some drink while drummer Alan Evans blew up the spot on the solo percussion until they returned to continue the jam minutes later. The funk just keeps going on and on and on.