Bikes tethered to every available
parking meter and traffic sign lined the
600 block of downtown Main Street this
past Thursday night.
As an eclectic mix of young and old
shuffled past the large, open windows
of Capital Ale House, the screaming
virtuosic trumpet solo that spilled from
those windows made it clear this was
not going to be a typical weekday bar
excursion.
For the past seven years, Style
Weekly-a publication that describes
itself as “Richmond’s alternative for news,
arts, culture and opinion”-has hosted
its annual Music Issue Party at various
venues in the city. The truly intoxicating
concoction Capital Ale House served up
last week included bands Fight the Big
Bull, the Richmond Afrobeat Movement
and Special Ed & the Shortbus.
Fight the Big Bull opened the show
with its signature style. Attempting to
relegate its sound to one musical genre
would be doing the band a great disservice,
as it incorporates jazz modes, the
brass-laden sound of big bands and the
asymmetrical, driving rhythmic patterns
of the avant-garde. As the band members
played through their set, one word came
to mind: cohesion. Each member of Fight
the Big Bull is completely in tune with
himself, the band and the environment.
This quality makes the group exude a
sort of quiet intensity. Watching-or
moreso, experiencing-the dialogues
between trombonists Reginald Pace and
Bryan Hooten is like watching a debate
between two skilled orators-their points
are convincing and passionate without
missing a beat.
With waiters running in and out of
the room, which had been cleared of
its tables to provide spectator space,
the Richmond Afrobeat Movement
took the stage with the now-crowded
area abuzz.
While Fight the Big Bull excels in
the electricity of the calm before the
storm, the Richmond Afrobeat Movement
throws the listener right into the
middle of it. The myriad of West African
rhythms and soaring scale passages of
individual solos made even the 40- and
50-somethings in the crowd-some well
past their first or second drink of the
night-nod their heads and tap their feet
in spite of themselves. Despite the sound
engineer’s inability to mic the 11-piece
ensemble properly for its first ten minutes
on stage, the band played through it all,
inciting the crowd to dance before the
set even officially began.
It is difficult to put a finger on exactly
what makes seeing Afrobeat perform
such a good time. Perhaps it is the
band members’ stage presence – their
choreographed dances and encouraging
nature exudes a contagious positivity – or
simply the unmistakable sense of raw,
young talent. The face of the Richmond
Afrobeat Movement has undergone some
major changes over the past year, but its
formula has produced impressive results
consistently.
Even though the crowd had thinned
later into the night, there was still a
significant presence for the bluegrass
sounds of Special Ed & the Shortbus.
Exchanging light-hearted banter, the
band’s commitment to its on-stage personality
provided a nice change of pace,
exemplifying the variety of the night’s
lineup. Fiddler Aaron Lewis, donning a
sailor hat and a substantial beard worthy
of an old-timey bluegrass band, was a
definite standout performance of the
night. Technically solid and well-versed
in the style he was playing, Lewis’ control
of the fiddle would impress even the most
rigidly trained classical player.
Even though there was a significant
mix-up with checks as everything
wrapped up, the friendly waitstaff, the
Style personnel and the excellent music
made for quite the enjoyable night.
Kudos to all involved-job well done.