Ain’t No Party Like a Freekbass Party
If you’ve ever seen a Freekbass show, then you know that’s absolutely true. And his compatriots, the Bump Assembly, are always incredibly talented funksters. Sky White is the man at the keyboards with the insane antics to match his brilliant playing while Rico Lewis is positively on the one from first second to last. The delightful addition for this tour was Reilly Comisar on vocals. We caught them on their Florida swing at Dunedin Brewery on Thursday, June 27.
They jumped immediately into what I noted was a “Bunch O’ Funk,” or, more properly, “Intro > Invincible > Mission.” Then they offered tracks from the brand new album, All the Way This. All the Way Live. with “Your Love Is Always On Time” and “Love in Your Pocket.”
DunBrew proprietor Michael Lyn Bryant joined in on MOOG as the band funked up “Come Together.” Comisar’s vocals were superb all night, especially on “Steppin’ Outta Line,” another new tune, and they took a break after one more new song, “You Make Me Wanna Dance.”
The second set opened with three more excellent new songs: “R U Ready,” “Gotta Get You Back to You,” and “Knuckle Sandwich.” Lewis was relentless in diving the beat, and White was a madman all over his keyboards: piano, organ, clavinet, and synths.
And of course there was Freekbass. He is a perpetual motion machine, dancing, singing, and playing that signature bass. There is always a point when the non-stop dance party kicks into high gear, and that happened as Freekbass gave us the opening notes to “Body Heat,” and from there it was ON! The jam rolled through “Round and Round,” “Ain’t No Party Like a Dunedin Brewery Party” and then into “Fame.”
They paused long enough to introduce “Blizzard Lizard,” a tune he told us was in 7/8. It featured wonderful vocalese from Comisar. After “Mama’s Like a Cowboy,” the jam gave White a chance to stretch out on keyboards, followed by another Comisar focus on “Body Good.” Freekbass had picked up his guitar/bass combo to play both.
Bryant joined in on MOOG again at some point. White stood his big keyboard on end and played it like that as they shifted into “When Doves Cry.” Lewis took a turn on drums, and Comisar came back to offer a short take on “Kiss.”
And, before they were done, Freekbass disappeared behind the brewery and reappeared ON THE BAR before they shut the dance party down with “Up, Up, Up.”
So the Freekbass party finally did stop, but not before we were all satisfied!
[ONE: Intro > Invincible > Mission, Your Love Is Always On Time, Love in Your Pocket, Come Together, Steppin’ Outta Line, You Make Me Wanna Dance; TWO: R U Ready, Gotta Get You Back to You, Knuckle Sandwich, Body Heat > Round and Round > Ain’t No Party > Fame, Blizzard Lizard, Mama’s Like a Cowboy, Sky feature > Body Good (Reilly) > Get Your Back Up Off the Wall > When Doves Cry > Rico feature > Kiss > Up, Up, Up]
