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SERATONES SETLIST Pleasure encore: SERATONES TOUR DATES AUG 25 Shitty Barn Spring Green, WI * - Guided meditation + Nerding out on books + VARIOUS BLONDE SETLIST Blacklight |
Love is complicated, and so is any process to problem-solve that, or any other topic – just ask Seratones, who sing of both, and more. That, and our connections as part of the overall cosmos, were just some of the musical themes from the soul rock band as they played at the recordBar in downtown Kansas City.
The night began with a forty-five-minute, eleven-song set from Various Blonde, led by guitarist and vocalist Joshua Allen, and based on what we saw, is still one of Kansas City’s best-kept musical secrets, who are worth seeking out if you haven’t.
The group has been recording since 2009 and have supported the likes of Of Montreal, Thursday, Sylvan Esso, and Broncho, delivering their own dark, progressive blend of electronica, pop, rock, soul, funk and psych. Their full-length is 2016’s All Bases Covered, with three-song EP, 3s 1, and singles, “Love is How We Will Survive” and “Obtuse” being their most recent.
The ice-blue lighting seemed to accentuate their sound- dashes of funk amongst adventuresome guitar atmospherics and jagged riffs, a rock-solid bottom end, and a Twin Shadow-esque quality with Allen’s vocals (particularly when in falsetto) reminding us at times, of very early Prince and Earth, Wind & Fire.
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Love & Algorhythms is the new record from Shreveport, LA natives Seratones, together since 2013 and who we first caught live early on, in 2016 in St. Paul. Released in late April, it’s been described as an “interstellar synthesis of astral Soul, R&B, and sci-fi Funk” but live, things were more rocking than cosmic, for their sixty-seven-minute headlining set.
Their lineup consists of AJ Haynes (vocals, guitar); Adam Davis (bass); Jesse Gabriel (drums); Tyran Coker (keyboard) and Travis Stewart (guitar), rising first with 2016’s Get Gone, followed by 2019’s Power, and now, the new record.
Beginning with the new album’s initial single, “Pleasure”, they then moved on to 2019’s “Heart Attack”, settling in with a groove as flashes of sound-clashing guitars and rhythms gave the track a more complex edge. Still needing to tweak the stage monitors, Haynes (whose voice effortlessly often goes to siren-like heights) broke into an impromptu Nina Simone scat, in hopes of helping get the sound just right.
Haynes, being a staunch feminist, dedicated the second album’s title track to abortion activists, and the tour itself has partnered with NOISE for NOW to raise funds for New Orleans Abortion Fund, Inc. She dressed in a shimmering lamé jumpsuit with her hair bundled straight-up, easily adding another foot of height.
“Over You” was sung for everyone’s Ex’s that should be left in the past, the new album’s “I’ll Be” assured us all, “If you need me, there I'll be”, and “Power of Your Light” was dedicated to any mothers in the crowd, with Haynes venturing onto the floor to have a quick seat to sing, while looking back at the band.
The groove line on their “Gotta Get to Know Ya” was similar to Kasabian’s “Club Foot” (also similarly shaking the walls); 2019’s extended “Sad Boi” found Haynes again off the stage, racing through the venue, even scampering along the main bar top, then singing from the middle of the crowd and sitting back as guitarist Stewart cut completely loose; and the main set would end with the new album’s opener, “Two of a Kind”.
The encore started with the organ-based slow burn of “Dark Matter” from the new record, a song which looks both extremely inward and outward at the same time (and was also featured on NBC’s The Blacklist). After a shout-out to imprisoned basketball star Brittney Griner, the volume turned up and with a grunge guitar intro, the night ended with 2016’s “Don’t Need It”, encouraging a trip of the mind, and Haynes singing, “Leave your body behind, you don't need it”.
All in all, a positive and affirming night of music with Seratones encouraging “rollerskatin’ on the haters, glowin’ up and getting’ paper” (as Haynes sings on “Good Day”) and while maybe not all complications can be undone and all problems solved, the journey to an actual attainable level of bliss, can be an enjoyable one.
(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)
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| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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