Trudy
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I love music. So when I get the chance to see a band I enjoy for a reasonable price, I’m all in. And on a side-note, I try to follow all the venues I like on Twitter or Instagram to keep on top of local performances. And on this night I was surfing the web and saw that one of my brother’s favorite bands, Antibalas, was playing nearby.
Antibalas (means bulletproof in Spanish) is a Brooklyn-based Afrobeat band inspired by the Fela Kuti and Africa 70, with Cuban drum and jazz mixed in. So it makes perfect sense for Antibalas to have a month-long residency at Brooklyn Bowl. The night that I attended Superhuman Happiness was opening for them and the lovely Santigold was a special guest.
The Opening Act
I was so excited and Brooklyn Bowl was at capacity. Brooklyn Bowl is a performance venue/restaurant/upscale bowling alley that is a hot spot in the area.
Superhuman Happiness played 45-minute set featuring the horn section from Antibalas, they were high energy and got the crowd pumped. They did about five songs and got the crowd involved. It was a shoulder to shoulder dance party.
The Headliners, Anitbalas
Then Antibalas took the stage after a brief break, the crowd pressed to the front of the stage and the congas were the first instrument to be played, then the keyboard, then the drums, and finally a horn section six members deep. Perfect! A lot o Antibalas’s song material deals with politics and culture, just like Fela Kuti’s music, and it delivered in the fast drum driven beat to get you moving as well as thinking.Here is a snippet of their encore that night that I filmed without getting elbowed in… the crowd to hold the camera steady.
Here is the performance of one the songs with Santigold, not my video but from a better vantage point.
And here is a full song one of my favorite videos from Antibalas called Dirty Money.
Antibalas is currently on a month-long residency at Brooklyn Bowl starting Wednesday, January 16, 2016. So you can experience the excellence that I was witness to with special guests to be announced. You won’t regret it!
Also if you check out my clip on Instagram you can see a hilarious drunk girl modeling session here. Have you seen any live music lately? Who is your favorite? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
Until our next rendezvous…
XOXO
Trudy
Have not seen any live music very recently but we are going to see one of our favorite up and coming songwriters on Sunday. Her name is Christa Gniadek. Great songs and voice! PS…freaking love Antibalas!
You should go this month then!! Just make sure you get a table on the right side close to the alleys so you can get good pictures. The tickets are reasonable and you’ll definitely have a good time. What kind of music does she perform?
Duly noted on the venue! Always good to know. She isn’t as active musically at the moment, but she has done a lot of stuff. Her stage name is Toli Nameless and she used to front an all-woman Afrobeat band called the Femm Nameless. Look for their video on YouTube of See Line Woman, and you can find lots of other stuff as well. She’s certainly the only woman I know who plays the trombone!
Yes I don’t know of any women that play trombone.
This group is new to me. Love the videos and will have to check if the library has some of their CD’s. Have not been to a concert recently. We did see David Lindley and 2 Cellos a while back!
Thank you! I think they’ll be in the world music section. So you prefer classical/chamber music?
No! The only music I don’t like is twangy country music. Love just about everything else!
Ok I’ll remember no twangy country. I don’t like that either. Lol!
No, unfortunately! but that’s why I follow your blog because I know there is always good music! 😉
Thanks. Lol
Cool sound. I’ve never heard of them before, but I like it
They are always touring, so you might catch them in a town near you.