Its been a busy weekend of riding down the Deet Street. In between Easter festivities and spats of good weather, this long weekend has been rife with musical happenings. Most notable (and enjoyably exhausting) of which being The Budos Band last Saturday night at Richards on Richards. At a hefty $30 price tag and with a claim printed directly onto the ticket that it would be "ONE HUGE DANCE PARTY", the Staten Island 10 piece afro-jazz-funk Budos Band did not disappoint.
It was a late start down at Richards as they had double booked the night. Indie rockers Los Campacinos played an early show and according to our tickets, doors for Budos were at 10pm. Arriving at 10:15 I was greeted with a line up extending well back of the front door, tight shirted indie kids departing and people rushing to load up a van parked out front. Evidently Los Campacinos had run a tad late. The following 45 minutes of standing around outside were made bearable by the rather balmy spring night, the excitement of what I was sure would be a great show and the pleasant company of a dozen or so friends and acquaintances (many of whom were unfamiliar with Budos but willing to ride on down the Deet Street for this one).
We made it inside with our shiny rave inspired wrist bands and resumed standing around, but this time we could grab a cold one pass the time. The crowd was a good mix or old and young, dapper and drudging, hip and less so. Good vibes abounded. At about midnight, the house music (actually a good mix of soul, funk and afro-beat) ceased and all 10 members of the Budos Band filed out from the little stage door. The crowd was jacked but the dance floor not nearly as packed as I've seen it. That was of course quick to change as Budos' 5 percussionists (kit, congas, and other miscellany) kicked off one damn funky rhythm punctuated by bassist Daniel Foder's driving bass line. From there everything just fell into place. The groove was established, though it would shift styles a few times, it was never lost and it just grabbed hold and would not be denied. The band's driving 6 part rhythm section was masterfully paired with electric guitar, organ, trumpet and tenor sax (played by Jared Tankel who liked to play band leader as well).
Its hard to pick out notable tracks, because though I've got both Budos Band albums (aptly titled "The Budos Band" and "The Budos Band II") I've never played just tracks, they both play best as full albums. Like their concert, one unshakable groove. The show was however, broken up in terms of how the afro-jazz genre could be bent. The first half featured funky soul reminiscent of Maceo Parker and the J.B.'s while holding on to the heavily afro-beat inspired rhythms. If the first half got you sweatin' the second half's blend of slower more drawn out jazz jams gave you a breath but kept that dip in your hip and the glide in your stride. The second half was like a stroll through the Ethiopiques catalogue and finding some Fela Kuti mixed in. Just when you thought the song was winding down there'd be a quick pause....take a breath....and they'd explode back into it with a renewed veracity. After a nonstop 90 minute set, band leader Jared Tankel praised Van-City as a spot that always shows them a good time (they've been here thrice before) and the band filed off to the sound of cheers and chants of "Bu-dos, Bu-dos" from the sweat soaked audience. After making us work for our well deserved encore, the band emerged all smiles and launched into what I thought was their best jam of the night (what I think may have been the first track, "Chicago Falcon", off "Budos Band II").
Sweating and a little sore we all stumbled out into the fresh spring air on Richards Street at ten to 2am. Heading towards our coveted greasy pizza snack, everyone what light of foot as we strolled past the usual gaggle of drunks, beggars, binners, promoters (handing out expired fliers?) and high class Seymore Street hookers. Its that euphoria that comes from an endorphin fueled evening of dance and drink, exhaustion of the most enjoyable kind, using the 4th or 5th wind to get you home with the knowledge that you squeezed every last cent out of a $30 ticket and ever last second out of a 2 hour set.
