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Big Something & Funk You Storm Through Birmingham's WorkPlay Theatre February 5, 2017 13:46

Photos and Words by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

On a cold Friday night in Birmingham, refuge was easily found in the Workplay Theatre as two of the southeast's most promising bands, BIG Something and Funk You, delivered a raging party.  Funk You, originally from Augusta (GA), was up first and certainly made the most of its opening spot.  We've had a chance to catch these guys on a number of occasions over the years, but this was a seriously powerful performance.  

Frontman Gavin Hamilton brings such a cool, smooth vibe, while laying down some seriously powerful vocals.  Guitarist Evan Miller is quickly establishing himself as one of the most talented young guitarists in the jam scene.  Will Foster (keys) had many moments to shine as well, and the rhythm section of Will Clark (drums), Palmer Owens (percussion), and Rob Thompson (bass) were on point all night.  The set was highlighted by Funk You originals such as "Important To You," "Ghost For Me," "Space Monkey," "Black Dynamite," "Resolution" and a perfect cover of Pink Floyd's "Young Lust."  The future is very bright for Funk You, and you would be selling yourself short not to get out to see these guys in 2017.

Fresh off of a highly praised pair of performances on Jam Cruise, which included a sit-in from Widespread Panic's JoJo Hermann, BIG Something took the Birmingham stage.  With this being the band's first headlining spot in the Magic City, it was clear that they came to make a statement.  The set began with "Amanda Lynn," "Song For Us," and "Blue Dream," before busting into a powerful take on "UFOs Are Real."  There's a common theme of "outer space" found with this band, both lyrically and within its overall sound.  The heavy use of synthesizers from Josh Kagel (keyboards) and EWI (electronic wind instrument) from Casey Cranford certainly play to that notion.  

The set got particularly hot when the opening notes of "Megalodon" hit.  This was the song that turned me onto this band, and I still struggle to find a song that hits me harder than this one.  There is an energy to it and some seriously intriguing lyrics that keep this song in constant rotation for me.  The latest release, "Tumbleweed," came next and has a similar effect to that of "Megalodon."  As the band prepares to release its new album this month, "Tumbleweed" is a great sign as to what fans can expect from the release.  Another personal favorite came in the form of "Love Generator," which seemed to resonate amongst the rowdy crowd.  It's amazing when a band manages to communicate its message both lyrically and musically, but I've always felt that this is accomplished with this particular tune.  Finally hearing it live only confirmed that notion.  

Next up was a nod to the late Prince, as the boys busted into a super funky take on the hit song "1999."  You can't go wrong digging into the Prince catalog late into the night, and justice was undoubtedly served on Friday night.  Before this smokin' set came to conclusion, the band worked its way into "The Curse of Julia Brown," giving frontman Nick MacDaniels one more chance to showcase some seriously power vocals.  Guitarist Jesse Hensley and Cranford wasted no time trading licks across stage, and while it was chilly outside, the WorkPlay Theatre couldn't have been hotter.  After a quick exit, they returned with for a encore featuring The Who's "Baba O'Riley," which sent the room into an all out frenzy.  

While BIG Something might be new to the Birmingham market, Friday night was most likely just the beginning of many memorable nights with these guys.  The seasoned veterans from Burlington (NC) have been turning heads and building a massive following across the country since 2009, and if you haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon now is the time.  Keep an eye out for the announcement on BIG Something's annual festival "The Big What?" which is held each summer and always features a serious collection of the jam scenes most promising acts.

Watch a clip of BIG Something performing "Megalodon" here:

 

Watch a clip of BIG Something performing Baba O'Riley here:

Setlist: Funk You - WorkPlay Theatre - 02.03.17

1:  What's On Your Mind, Important To You, Ghost For Me, Space Monkey, Black Dynamite, Young Lust, Central Ave, Resolution

Setlist: BIG Something - WorkPlay Theatre - 02.03.17

1:  Amanda Lynn, Song For Us, Blue Dream, UFOs Are Real, Megalodon, Tumbleweed, 1999, Love Generator, The Curse of Julia Brown

Encore: Baba O'Riley

Evan Miller of Funk You

Gavin Hamilton of Funk You

BIG Something

BIG Something

Nick MacDaniels & Jesse Henley of BIG Something

BIG Something


Lettuce Funkifies Birmingham's WorkPlay Theatre September 30, 2016 18:42

Photos by Craig Baird Photography

Thursday night brought about a heavy night of funk at Birmingham's WorkPlay Theatre, as Lettuce brought it's "Sounds Like Party" tour to the Iron City.   After an hour long opening set from Michael Menert, the stage was set and the vibe was just right for action packed funk party.  This band's ability to come in and take over a room is nothing short of remarkable.  No matter how many times you get out to a Lettuce show, you can never be quite prepared for the dance party ahead of you.  Last night's cover of War's "Slippin' Into Darkness" just about set the room on fire, and flawless takes on Lettuce favorites such as "The Force," "Phyllis," "Does Your Mama Know," and "Sounds Like a Party" were more than enough to set this show over the top.  You would be hard pressed to find a better room for this type of party than WorkPlay Theatre.  This was certainly one that everyone in attendance will remember for quite some time, and the hype surrounding Lettuce's eventual return to Birmingham will be very real.  See below for a collection of photos courtesy of Craig Baird, as well as a complete setlist and video footage from "Slippin Into Darkness."  Lettuce continues it's tour this weekend at the inaugural Bear Creek Bayou Music & Arts Festival in New Orleans.

Setlist: Lettuce at WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL - 09.29.16

Intro, Blaze, Flu, The Force> Harmonic Jam > Slippin' Into Darkness, Remember the Children, Phyllis, By Any SMZ, Lett Bobby, Does Your Mama Know, Sounds Like a Party

Encore: Squa Live

Watch Lettuce cover War's "Slippin' Into Darkness" here:

 


Win Free Tickets to See Perpetual Groove at WorkPlay Soundstage (Fri. 4/15) April 12, 2016 07:43

 

Photo by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

Live & Listen is excited to announce that we are teaming up with our friends at WorkPlay in Birmingham, AL for multiple ticket giveaways this Spring and Summer.  Next up is one of the hottest bands on the jam/festival scene, Perpetual Groove. PGroove is fresh off of a major 2015 reunion tour and rolling into Birmingham, AL on Friday, April 15th.  New wave synth-rockers Downright will provide direct support on Friday night.  See below for complete details on how you can win a free pair of tickets to the show.

About Perpetual Groove:

Based in Athens, GA, Perpetual Groove is a long time well established touring act with an enthusiastic fan base and international critical acclaim. PGroove's music has been described by their fans as anthemic arena rock. Their large catalog of original music offers something for everyone. The addition of an intense, retina burning, intelligent light show creates an atmosphere unlike any other, assuring fans they'll get a highly polished, yet different show each night.

After a two year hiatus Perpetual Groove is back.

 

We have one pair of tickets to giveaway, and we will announce a winner at 3:00 PM CST on Thursday (4/14). The winner's name (+1 guest) will be placed on the list at Will Call at WorkPlay on Friday night.  

How the contest works....

1: 'Like' this post directly on our Facebook page.

2: Share this post directly from our Facebook page.  Make sure your privacy settings are set to 'Public' so we can see that you shared the post.

3: Tag a friend who you would like to take to the show in the comments on our Facebook page.

4: The winner will be announced on our Facebook page on Thursday (4/14) at 3:00 PM CST.

 

Photo by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen


Win Free Tickets To See Pink Talking Fish At WorkPlay Theatre (Weds. 3/2) February 23, 2016 17:00

Live & Listen is excited to announce that we are teaming up with our friends at WorkPlay in Birmingham, AL for multiple ticket giveaways this Spring and Summer.  Next up is one of the hottest bands on the jam/festival scene, Pink Talking Fish, who brings their extensive national tour to Birmingham, AL on Wednesday, March 2nd.  See below for complete details on how you can win a free pair of tickets to the show.

Pink Talking Fish: Bio

Pink Talking Fish is a hybrid tribute fusion act that takes the music from three of the world's most beloved bands and creates a special treat for fans of the music.  See below for details on our exclusive ticket giveaway.  Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads and Phish are all more than just bands... they are phenomenons.  Their creations have artistically inspired people and their mindblowing live performances have brought people together to form a special sense of community around the love for their favorite band.

Although the music from each act is different, Pink Talking Fish has discovered that fusing the material together creates an amazing story.  The epic emotion of Pink Floyd.... The funky, danceable layerings of The Talking Heads.... The multitude of styles, unique compositional structures and pure fun of Phish.... to merge these three into one gives music lovers a special experience.

Pink Talking Fish features Eric Gould on bass, Richard James on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Dave Brunyak on guitar.  This is a band created by musicians who love the music of these acts.  It's purpose is to heighten people's passion for this music by creating something fresh and exciting for fans.  

Discovering connections is part of the fun:  Pink Floyd's "On The Run" seamlessly fitting in the middle of the composition of Phish's "You Enjoy Myself".  Perfectly placing Phish's "Sand" into the groove of The Talking Head's "Slippery People".  Segued collections from all three acts such as Run Like Hell > Making Flippy Floppy > Piper > Run Like Hell or Mike's Song > Have A Cigar > Once In A Lifetime > Weekapaug Groove.  These ideas are the spirit behind Pink Talking Fish.

We have one pair of tickets to giveaway, and we will announce a winner at 3:00 PM CST on Friday (2/26). The winner's name (+1 guest) will be placed on the list at Will Call at WorkPlay on Friday night.  

Photo by Karl WcWherter Photography

How the contest works....

1: 'Like' this post directly on our Facebook page.

2: Share this post directly from our Facebook page.  Make sure your privacy settings are set to 'Public' so we can see that you shared the post.

3: Tag a friend who you would like to take to the show in the comments on our Facebook page.

4: The winner will be announced on our Facebook page on Friday (2/26) at 3:00 PM CST.

Watch Pink Talking Fish's "Time" > "Ghost" > "Psycho Killer" from Wannee 2015

 

Video by skip2eight