Some bands are tailor-made to evoke a specific feeling and The Budos Band is the one you wanna go to if you are daydreaming of starring in some ’70s thriller and you are the protagonist, strutting down the street with sartorial splendor while people marvel and give you the space you need. This eight piece outfit from Staten Island barely tours any more, so the building was packed in anticipation for some down and dirty grooves with a killer brass trio. The pedigree of the band is unimpeachable, with members providing input to Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black as well as contributions with performers such as Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Lee Fields, Quincy Jones and more. They are basically the Staten Island Globetrotters of the neo funk and soul movement of the last decade or two.
Starting right out of the gate with “Old Engine Oil,” the band was instantly at the top of their game, evoking all of the best touchpoints of the soul and funk genres while making it their own, not dutifully tracing the outlines of someone else’s work. They displayed a jagged edge to their music as well, so it was no coincidence that a couple of band members sported shirts from metal legends such as Sleep and Voivod. Superlative show and a great way to end the weekend.
Opener Rogé hails from Brazil via Los Angeles and brought some sun-soaked samba and good vibes to start the evening. With just an acoustic guitar, his voice and a drummer, he got the crowd moving and pretending that outside the club doors, a warm breeze rippled through the palm trees lining Brighton Avenue. His latest record featured fellow Brazilian Seu Jorge, best known for his unique takes on Bowie for the soundtrack to A Life Aquatic; definitely check it out if your collection is a bit thin on bossa nova or samba.
The Budos Band:
Rogé:
Primarily based in Boston, Massachusetts, Tim Bugbee is no stranger to traveling throughout the country or overseas to capture the best live music photos.
