British invasion rocks the Knotty
Wow, a cool band from England — and they actually play instruments!
After visiting the Mangy Moose on Tuesday, the New Mastersounds had the Knotty Pine grooving Wednesday with the funkiest organic rhythms from across the pond. There were no DJs or laptops on stage, just tight playing of quaint throwbacks like drums and guitar.
Young guys doing old-school funk, this band is the British counterpart to Galactic, heirs to the New Orleans musical legacy. Both groups pay the most devout homage to The Meters and bring intense energy to retro grooves.
Originally from Leeds, the New Mastersounds have been playing together for 10 years and recorded five albums, the latest of which is 102 Percent. They did not tour the U.S. until last year and have been introducing themselves at Yank jam band festivals like High Sierra and Jam Cruise.
They’ve been enjoying the reception. As guitarist and tambourine shaker Eddie Roberts told the News&Guide’s Melanie White, “In the U.K. there isn’t the same ‘cult of the musician’ that you have here with the post-Grateful Dead scene.” At home the band is used to “playing second fiddle to the DJ.”
I’m still scarred from a winter of Eurotrash disco. With apologies to Radiohead and Gomez, among others, this might be the best rock band I’ve seen out of England since, well, the Rolling Stones.
The scene at the Knotty felt like an Austin Powers movie. With a good crowd and the Victor log cabin’s unparalleled ambience, the dance floor was downright shagadelic. The band even has moppy haircuts to boot.
At several points the musicians kept taking the boogaloo groove further and further until hitting a sustained crescendo of pure sonic euphoria.
By the end, people were throwing money at them (imparting the American custom of “tips,” as Roberts joked), and drummer Simon Allen appeared to be doing brisk business in panties emblazoned with the band’s name.
Let’s hope these good blokes make it back this way again soon. They already have booked tickets to New Orleans for Jazz Fest; next they have to land gigs. Could be a pleasant find late night on Frenchmen St.
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Looking ahead, the Mangy Moose is going to have a post-Mardi Gras blowout with visits by Galactic on Feb. 12 and Meters bassist George Porter Jr.’s trio, PBS (Porter, Batiste, Stoltz) on Feb. 14 and 15.
The run of great music actually starts Feb. 6, when soul sensation Grace Potter makes her Jackson Hole debut. Also turning up the heat at Teton Village will be the Brian Jordan Trio on Feb. 9. Jordan, a frequent visitor to these parts, is the guitarist for Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.
A Galactic show is always a stomper, but I’m more intrigued to see Potter, whose older sister, Charlotte, is an artist and Jackson waitress. The last time I heard so much chatter from friends back East about a musician I had to see, it was Dave Matthews. Tickets are just $10 in advance.
If you act fast, you can download Potter’s song “Apologies” for free from Amazon.com by clicking here. Or try visiting Potter’s Web site.
Galactic is touring with hip-hop artists Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5) and Ohmega Watts. Tickets are $29 in advance.
Tickets for most of these shows can be purchased online via the Moose Web site.
Explore posts in the same categories: music, funk, mangy moose, new orleans, knotty pine
January 21st, 2008 at 9:57 am
I can’t think of a better way to spend my Valentine’s day with my honey, then at the Funkin Mangy Moose!! GEORGE PORTER JR!!! I am Pumped! I don’t know if anyone on here has heard them before, but they are seriously something to talk about. They jam so hard. A friend of mine from Vermont saw them at some club playing with Page McConnell I hope Galactic is in the area still the night they are here, because it would be the New Orleans way for them to play together til the wee hours of the morning! Hooray.