Syracuse, are you ready for music that will intrigue your mind, soothe your soul and get you hyped and dancing? Music that stretches the globe in influence and is half-born of a Syracuse native? Music sparked from the collaboration of a local hero turned international performer, and an acclaimed master from a far off land? Then you are ready for Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate. Following an incendiary local performance at the Grassroots Festival in Ithaca, NY, Joe Dricoll and Sekou Kouyate are sure to bring a dedicated Syracuse fan base and many new followers to the Westcott Theater on Aug. 22.
Faya, Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate’s debut album and the impetus for the current international tour, is appropriately titled. Throughout most of the album, Joe lays down funky or reggae-based guitar chords while Sekou’s insanely beautiful and rapid kora riffs lick the rhythm like flames. For those of you who have never heard a kora, you are in for a treat. The kora is a West African instrument that plays like a super-fast yet elegant harp. Sekou, a native of the West African country of Guinea, is no average kora player either- he is a master in all senses of the word. He is recognized throughout African music circles as a phenomenon, and known in France as the “Jimi Hendrix of the kora,” for his intensity, flowing virtuosity and innovative use of effects. Joe’s recent years of successful recording and touring as a solo act throughout Europe and the U.S. have polished his skills as a musician and solidified his sound, thereby enabling synthesis of different languages and musical styles. Joe’s unique take on hip-hop, funk, and reggae ties seamlessly into his exploration of exotic Afrobeat and traditional West African grooves.
Joe and Sekou share vocals throughout the album, which is a testament to both musician’s adaptability. Joe’s characteristic and insightful (English) hip-hop lyrics are broken up by full verses (sung by both) in French. When Sekou met Joe at the Nuit Metis (Mixed Night) Festival in Marseille France, neither of them spoke much of each other’s language; and yet, they were able to construct (in one week) an innovative and highly entertaining musical project that is most definitely hot like Faya.
Come out to the Westcott Theater on August 26th at 9pm and experience a new take on an old favorite and a cultural coalition that is sure to burn down the house.
Bands like theirs generally get a good turnout in hip and trend-savvy metropolitan areas like Brooklyn or Cambridge, but generally not as much in smaller cities like Syracuse. But, thanks to a soulful subculture of Syracuse show-goers, and a breathtaking performance at last year’s 
“Its Easter Sunday, let’s take ’em to Church!” These crowd-amping words from Sophistafunk’s Jack Brown resonated through a well-attended Westcott Theater on Sunday’s 4:20 concert, featuring local (Syracuse and Ithaca) favorites 
Next, the crowd was swept up by the larger than life force that is Jack Brown and commanded to “Wil’ Out”- to dance, to celebrate, to get hyped and positive, no matter what excuse they needed. In Jack’s words, “Happy Easter, happy holidays, happy Spring Equinox, happy 4:20.” Jack’s rhymes are always thoughtful yet fun, and his positive themes encourage creativity, community and self-actualization. His animated persona, tall stature, and front of the stage presence demands crowd involvement. In breaks in sets, the audience was rallied around a ban on Hydrofracking, nostalgia for the Grassroots Music Festival and Sterling Stage, and love for the Westcott Nation. Jack knows how to work a crowd, but what is the quintessential frontman without a killer rhythm section? Nothing. Think Robert Plant without John Paul Jones and John Bonham, or Roger Daltry without Keith Moon… needless to say, Adam Gold (pianos and synth) and Emmanuel “E-Man” Washington (drums) held down the funk…hard. Gold has an uncanny ability to provide a full-bodied, deep bass line while simultaneously rocking the crowd with a rhythmic melody or sending them into a sophisticated space-haze with chorus-laden organ sound. E-man’s rhythms are tight, loud, and immaculately locked-in, making him and Gold one inseparable funk machine. For an extra kick, a very talented guest trombonist from NYC was brought onstage and delivered virtuosic solos, ecstatic hype-power, and some legit hip hop dance moves. Sophistafunk tends to give the headliners a run for their money and this 4:20 party was no exception.
John Brown’s Body kept the night grooving with their dubby, rich, sometimes almost hymnal sound. Jungle green and cool blue stage lights and smoke machines poured ambiance over the now moody, mesmerized crowd as JBB showcased their large repertoire of “Future Roots” music. John Brown’s Body has been touring Ithaca and Syracuse (and worldwide) for almost two decades now, have produced ten studio albums, and have gone through numerous band member changes. This band has a sound that has evolved and has some serious staying power and mass appeal. The formula, according to this humble listener: 1) Thuddy, five-string deep bass lines that aren’t afraid to walk about the neck and dig that groove super-deep. 2) Guitar hooks that play closely off of these bass lines, hit lots of rhythmic counter-melodies throughout the song, and utilize cool effects. 3) Soulful, pure-toned vocals with lots of sustained notes that uplift listeners and suggest some sort of spiritual chanting or hymn. 4) A trifecta of harmonious, ecstatic, and yet perfectly balanced horns (sax, trombone, trumpet). Their interplay with Elliot Martin’s vocals provided the perfect injection of complexity and raw roots energy to the overall sound. John Brown’s Body brought listeners through their many phases, with newer, dubbier sounds like the etheric, “Plantation” off of Kings and Queens, to the “rootsier” classic, “Follow in the Shadow,” from the 2005 album, Pressure Points. Listeners from all eras appeared to stay right with JBB throughout their set. After an encore, the audience was left tired, but filled with warm hearts and good vibrations. Happy 4:20 indeed.
A tightly packed crowd in the darkened confines of the Westcott Theater was shifting about and settling in throughout the first set, with fans craning their necks for a better view of the band, who many were seeing for the first time. Mike Gordon Band does not tour as extensively as Trey Anastasio Band, the more popular and familiar of the Phish side-projects, and as such the chances of seeing Mike Gordon’s band is limited to tours in support of new albums, or the occasional short run, as he played in December 2011. Thus, the show was sold out earlier in the week and those in attendance were lively in spirit and properly clad in Orange.
“Face”, one of the half dozen songs from new album Overstep, opened the night, followed by the more familiar “Say Something”, which has been played by Phish twice in 2013 and beckons the crowd to screech the title “sAAAAy Something!” The ambiance in the jam that developed from “Traveled Too Far” is a hallmark of Mike’s band – they aren’t there to play standard versions or the same old jam each time – they have an affluence of patience when it comes to the unscripted portion of the songs, making nearly any song a jam-vehicle, even if just for one night. “Dig Further Down” wowed the audience when Mike’s bass and Scott’s guitar lit up in LED fashion; when placed against the silhouette of the backdrops, the visual took on an Anglerfish-vibe, where your attention is drawn to the light, while unable to see the full behemoth lurking in the darkness. The first set ended with “Jumping”, a solid calypso-infused number that was ripe for jamming and jumping. Ninety minutes of music to start the tour? This could bode well for the next month or more.
