On Saturday April 9, Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz closed out their three-night run to a sold out crowd at Brooklyn Bowl.
After the opening band, Sidewalk Chalk, began heating up the room to a simmer, Turkuaz brought the crowd to full on boil with their opening song “Lika” from their 2015 Digitonium release. Next up was “Chatte Lunatique” off of the Zerbert album, which had the crowd, brass section and backup vocalists bopping up and down in synch. Each band member sported their own signature, color-coded Members Only jacket on stage, reminiscent of a funky bag of Skittles that had somehow taken human form and hypnotized the Brooklyn Bowl. By the fourth song, and their first cover, Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’” everyone from the back bar to the front of stage could taste the rainbow as the classic soul tune raged on.
The band took a minute to wipe the sweat from their faces before tackling “Lift It Up” into their most listened-to Spotify tune, “Bubba Slide,” off the Future 86 album. “Who were you two days ago/I’ll be damned if you should know,” are the opening lyrics to “Bubba” and on the third night of transformational Brooklyn run, the words took on a different meaning. There was a feeling in the room that something special was happening. We were witnessing a new brand of funk while simultaneously time-traveling to the golden age of the genre.
The 9-piece jammed on with a few more originals before capping off the first set with their second cover of the night, “I’ve Got a Feeling” by a band founded far away from Williamsburg, The Beatles. Just before the 
cover began, the audience started to thin out for a fresh beer or cigarette during what was sure to be the break of an already stellar set until they heard the opening riff to this Let it Be classic. People began sprinting back inside to be part of the action and as the cigarette flames were extinguished outside, a new fire started within. Since the last time Turkuaz ignited the Brooklyn Bowl flame in 2015, the band’s sound has evolved through hard work, relentless touring and attention to their craft. Ask any die-hard Turkuaz fan and they will tell you that the band gets better every time you see them in Brooklyn. Smiles covered the group’s faces as they proudly sang the symbolic lyrics “Everybody had a good year, everybody let their hair down, everybody pulled their socks up, everybody put their foot down.” Oh, yeah!
Set two’s energy picked off right where the first left off as Taylor Shell’s bass pumped out an extra groove-able intro to the Digitonium tune, “Doktor Jazz.” As if the band wasn’t hot enough on their own, they called 
upon James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band) and his saxophone wizardry to add some gasoline to the blaze. The band was just getting started as Casey exited the stage after a short lived, but memorable sit-in. The crowd appeared to have stretched their legs during set break as they put on an all-out dance clinic during the sexy “Desert Island,” “Coast to Coast,” “E.Y.E. (Lookin’ Good)” threesome of originals.
An extended version of “Tired of Talkin’” led the band to show the heavily-breathing crowd mercy after “Digital Love” to cool things down for a moment, well, slightly. As the second set was coming to a close each 
member was placed under the spotlight during “Gogo, Mr. Dodo,” but especially Shira Elias, who was dressed like a feminine synth pop version of the yellow Power Ranger. She definitely took lead on this second-set highlight as she shook the Brooklyn Bowl with her soulful pipes.
As Sunday morning was officially upon us, the band came out to cover one more song, The Talking Heads, “Take Me To The River.” Since the early days of Turkuaz, it has been no secret that the Heads have been one of the main influences from their tongue-in-cheek lyrics to their strange attire and genre melting sound. “Take Me To The River” may be one of the most covered and influential songs on the jam-band or funk circuit in the past 40 years and this group absolutely nailed their take on the Al Green penned piece. The climax came after the band collectively dropped the crowd into the funky waters of the venue.
Hours after the show ended the caption on the Turkuaz Facebook page reads, “This was truly one of the most special weekends we’ve experienced as a band.” After that power-funk spectacle, it is safe to say that the growing fan base had a pretty special weekend as well.
This group has become outstandingly popular; having been to several of their shows, they never seem to disappoint. Since their formation in 2013, they have created a beautiful fan base and evoke a sphere of jam and funky madness. On this night, they pumped the smoky carnival air with tunes such as “Regal Krad”, “Moon Boots”, “Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco”, “Rango”, “Mister Sam”, “Plibt”, and “Entree The Giant”. It is pleasing to witness how they have progressed over the years and it is an honor to watch them continue to grow into galactic flowers.
Space Carnival meshes funk, progressive rock, and high-energy disco all while melting brains and hearts. They have a unique rhythm and spatial sound which all keep their fellow dancers afloat and on their toes. They performed covers throughout the night along with their fresh jams to keep the spacey flow going. Stay tuned as they are currently recording their debut album Drawn In By The Sun.
Following Space Carnival, Jimkata settled the night in the most perfect way, allowing the audience to cool down and sooth to the smooth moves of soft soundwaves. This night was about the promotion and celebration of their newest album In Motion. This band is much more than what they seem; their anthemic-synth-washed rock n’ roll and pop take you through the night and underground on a happy rollercoaster with sweet melodies and charming hooks. One can feel the emotional energy that emanates from their gentle tunes. It has an adventurous, continuous flow of undulating waves.
On this night of the tour, Evan Friedell (guitar/vocals), Aaron Gorsch (synth/guitar), and Packy Lunn (drums) collectively embraced their listeners with a fresh perspective of feeling. Their music lures you with emotion and hits your body with the beat. The crowd cheered to some of their hits such as, “Wild Ride”, “Innocence”, “Won’t Let You Down”, “Jumping Out of Airplanes”, and “Ride The Wave”, all from their most recent album.
If you were wondering where his stage name is derived from, it comes from his XBOX gamer tag. Since hitting the Dubstep scene in 2008 he has steadily been a force to be reckoned with. In 2009 alone he had 7 number one releases on 
Having been the first time seeing 
The fans handled every sound the band threw at them; the rhythms made each soul move and each body shake that night, bringing a sense of euphoria and enlightenment. Throughout the show, Big Mean rocked the stage with even more hits from their newest album, some of which included “In the Name of What,” “Contraband,” “Sweet Tooth” and “Wolfpack.” They also threw in “Marauders,” a classic from 2012, that brought a different sense of style and flair to the set. 
