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Words by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
Photos by Craig Baird: Home Team Photography
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Fresh off of a week on Jam Cruise, the nine-piece "power funk army" known as Turkuaz kicked off a three-week tour at Birmingham's Saturn on Wednesday night. While it had been nearly two years since their last appearance, the Birmingham faithful showed up in numbers for an incredibly entertaining night of music. The "new look" Turkuaz may have parted ways with their color coded wardrobe, but the dynamic performance that we've all become accustomed to is stronger than ever.
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The crowd got a taste of up-and-coming star Neal Francis, whose unique blend of classic rock and roll soul was a huge hit. While I was only able to catch his last few songs, there was a notable buzz surrounding his opening set all day leading up to doors opening. The amount of people who stopped and asked, "Did you catch that opening set?" was very encouraging to see. Francis clearly made his mark on Alabama, and I will certainly be paying closer to attention on he and his band moving forward.
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Turkuaz took the stage in explosive fashion, as expected. "Nightswimming" kicked off the set and gave us the first taste of the band's 2015 release, Digitonium. "Heat Drop" gave us a look into the new EP, Kuadrochrome, which was released in November of 2019. The stroll through Turkuaz history continued with "If I Ever Fall Asleep" and "Gonna Make You Famous," both of which can be found on Life In The City (2018). Bassist Taylor Shell was firing on all cylinders as the band led into "Mister Man," one of five tracks on the 2019 EP Afterlife Vol. 2. While I can't recall exactly which song, saxophonist Greg Sanderson gave us our first dose of the EWI (electronic wind instrument), which is always a super fun touch.
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The set continued with "Got To Get Better" > "The Quesiton" > "Big Business" > "One and Lonely." By this point in the set, the rowdy Birmingham crowd was moving and shaking to every note, soaking up every minute of the dance party at hand. "Coast To Coast" > "Lookin' Tough Feelin' Good" kept the energy at the highest level, before drummer Michaelangelo Carubba led the way for saxophonist Josh Schwartz to light the room on fire with his vocal work on "Babies Making Babies." You would be hard pressed to find any band with the vocal range of Turkuaz. Between Schwartz, frontman Dave Brandwein, and the lovely combo of Shira Elias and Sammi Garrett, there's just few bands that can even compete.
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One of the highlights of the set came with "Superstatic," which has got to be one of the best dance tracks of the modern era. I've made a point to keep this one in regular rotation since the release of Life In The City in 2018. Elias took the spotlight for a cover of Donny Hathaway's "Jealous Guy," while an emphatic "Brain Drain" closed down the set. After a brief exit from the stage, we would get one more look at Kuadrochrome with "The Ballad of Castor Troy."
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While I would have personally loved a second set of Turkuaz, I can't say enough about the 90 minutes of funk-filled jams that ensued. This band continues to climb the ranks of the music world, and every time I see them perform I am reminded why. They're gearing up for a big run of shows with Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew of Talking Heads this summer, which includes a co-headliner at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre with The Motet. It's always a treat having this band in the Southeast, and we should all hope this becomes a regular tradition in the future.
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