Oct 26
DaraArt Rock, Funk, Hard Rock
WomanInCharge, true to form, didn’t invite me to this show (Dirty Projectors) but told me I was going… this band was darling darling darling – smiles washed over the crowd – had the stage presence of Matt & Kim: happy clean jumping dancepunk – the little girl with the long hair in a barrette and the green eyelashes painted under her right eye was fierce and inflamed with a voice that reminded me of Grand Ole Party and maybe CocoRosie – her compatriot guitarist with the 70s fluffed hair matched her energy – lots of drums, a keyboard, a whaw pedal, occasional trumpet, sometimes a saxophone – a synthy disco rock inferno – maintained hyped up stage presence until it was certain that the audience had been saved – they almost outshone the headiners
Jun 07
DaraBlues, Chicago Blues, Funk, Soul
may be the most professional slick band I’ve seen in Austin, and while that usually annoys me, it suits their music – they’re local but touring in support of the New York Dolls – lots of soul, some wah-wah 70s funk and then some Chicago blues – a brass section of saxes and a trumpet, two guitars, drums, etc. etc. – whole assemble was having a good time – Joe Lewis’ voice isn’t remarkable but he has a pleasing innocent fun demeanor on stage – he supposedly started as a blues singer in Austin with the likes of Scott H. Biram but found his success with the addition of the Honeybears
Mar 18
DaraFunk, Modern Rock, Psychedelic
These kids today can’t get over the irony of including ‘clap’ in the name of your band. I’m over it. We were there because WomanInCharge said that NPR had recommended them, though we eventually wondered why we were relying on popular music advice from NPR. 7 members in the band, with stand-outs being 1) the 40-something paisley-shirted, scraggly-hair lead guitarist (it was noted that his porno appearance suited the music); 2) his 70s soul brother in big sunglasses and a polyester shirt on the keyboards; and 3) their 2 barely-legal females in 80s garb. WomanInCharge was probably correct in her observation that the girls were the attractive foil for a somewhat older collection of better male musicians. The girls, per the demands of their generation, were in high-waisted jeans and one even had horrid horrid shoulder pads on – they remained cool and unmoved by the music throughout the set – playing their tambourines like girls in a Robert Palmer music video. They started off straight disco but then devolved into psychedelia with bright moments of funk. An indie electronic / dance rock band from Brooklyn which was only evident when one of the girls did an old-school rap over a funky backbeat. 70s vibe all over the place. Liked them.
Feb 27
DaraFunk, Hard Rock, Texas Blues
I am embarrassed that I enjoy this band so much what with their unfair use of everything good in rock and roll: heavy bass lines, groovy blues licks, funky pick-ups, but to their redemption, they’ve also got talent, soul, authenticity, and diversity. At previous shows, they’d been more about the tight hopped-up songs (which they still did), but tonight there was only three band members (lead guitar, pedal steel and drums) and they did some extended intense jams as well as some lighter country numbers (Moonhanger songs?), with both guitarists exchanging vocalizing duties. I like Chili Cold Blood, I cannot lie.
Apr 04
DaraBlues, Classic Rock, Funk, Hard Rock
as good as I remembered, some kind of heavy-riff wah-wah-funk bar blues, from Sabbath to classic rock to…, apparently have another band that’s all old country (Moonhangers)
Jan 04
DaraBlues, Funk
a testament to the diversity and quality that my favorite venue was offering for free week, chaos ensued from this point on but it was a string of be-horned guys doing funk-blues, possibly in a line and stepping in unison as if it were 1965
Dec 06
DaraFunk, Latin, Rap
unimpressive rap/funk outfit at first – first rapper was too Tribe but the second rapper (he walked in late through a side door in his sweat suit and gut) was a little dirtier and much smoother – very interesting concoction of a band: keyboard, two guitarists, drummer, sax, trumpet, trombone and two rappers – though Mr. Rapper was good I think I enjoyed their departure into salsa the most – they did get people dancing in an unreceptive bar
Sep 19
DaraFunk, Hip Hop
just didn’t impress, that bland white-boy soul rap aura (they’re black though) which annoys me, they’re actually more of a funk band
Sep 18
DaraFunk
always link them to Aaron Neville 90s nastiness but they are a classic funk outfit, so I saw them
May 15
DaraFunk, Soul
from New York, two saxes, trumpet, bass and two other guitars, drummer, put on an excellent show, continual stream of mildly gimmicky stage moves, all instrumentalists were attractive and of undisclosed ethnic background (NY) but could have stood to appear to be enjoying themselves, lead singer was a short fury of a black woman who controlled all Al Green style, some politics, some fun, some sad, I loved the whole spectacle, the soul funk makes me want to dance harder “within myself” than any other kind of music, LameGuitarGuy turned up his nose and said that the vocalist eclipsed the musicians and that his funk band was more jazz than soul, white boy
May 15
DaraFunk
70s funk DJs (they weren’t seen but MyHero says there’s usually a guy with mic on stage ripping on people in crowd), people love this stuff, it is a new resurgence or has forever been loved?
Jan 18
DaraFunk
a large collection of white boys—lots of brass, knew how to work the music to work the crowd, breakdowns, had the white hippie boys dancing
Jan 18
DaraFunk
two girls put this event (Freaks the Funk Party) on to support their website and “community” of performers (white girl?), D-Madness is purportedly an Austin legend—plays drums, guitar, harmonica and sings at nearly the same time, him and a funk bassist
Sep 21
DaraFunk, Jazz
good hard jazz funk but seen enough this weekend
Sep 21
DaraFunk, Hip Hop, Jazz
jazz-funk overlaid with rap, rap annoyed—juvenile, slur-messy style—lyrics about school, harmonica nice addition, groove but always the same, Jack Johnson helped start show with two ballads
Sep 20
DaraFunk, Rock and Roll, Soul
MandolinWoman raved about their steel guitar—looked like a lap guitar to me (?), black near-ghetto-style boys with a white mustached guitar player, passionate and hard, gave shout-outs to Steely Dan, basically did excellent covers of Jimi Hendrix
Sep 19
DaraFunk, Soul
brother knows how to move a crowd—had the white ones thinking they were black and soulful, he was near scary in his exclamatoriness and the music was 70s porn-style soul and funk
Sep 19
DaraFunk, Jazz, Rock and Roll
New Orleans jazz funk rock, excellent backbeats and variety, heavy on the funk
Aug 24
DaraFunk, Latin
many members, Spanish festival music, good I’m sure since they play everywhere all the time, put the dance into people
Feb 01
DaraCollege Rock, Funk, Jazz, Rap
fun, fun, fun, rap boy lead (beautiful voice and keeps the party rolling), horns, mix of funk/old jazz/little rap, really interesting, from Denton Texas
Jan 23
DaraAmericana, Bluegrass, Funk, Jam Band
5 guys with 2 guitars, 1 fiddle, 1 banjo and 1 massive bass, LOVED them, individually tight and fluid together, bluesgrass jam band that strayed into funk and “Friend of the Devil,” could have had more interplay on the stage with each other
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