Last night, I was able to finally check out one of Soulive’s “Bowlive” shows, as a part of the band’s 10-night residency at Brooklyn Bowl. My tickets came courtesy of the fine folks at Relix who drew my name for a free pair (thanks dudes!).
Overall, the show was loose and intimate, featuring a rotating cast of characters for a variety of interesting sit-ins and lineups. The band welcomed Charlie Hunter as their main guest to show off his skills with his signature 8-string guitar as well as a standard six-string electric. But, of course, Mr. Hunter wasn’t the only guest appearance, with Nigel Hall and Kofi Burbridge also making appearances throughout the night. The opening sets included a mellow, soul set featuring Nigel Hall on vocals and Charlie Hunter laying down the instrumentals, followed by a standard funk-laden set by Soulive. But the main feature of the night was all about honoring the Beatles and celebrating the band’s latest official release, Rubber Soulive, which is an album of all-instrumental Beatles covers.
Like the new album, the “Rubber Soulive” set featured the band’s funky re-workings of classic Beatles tunes. Highlights included an uber-funky “Come Together,” a bouncin’ “Day Tripper” featuring Charlie Hunter on six-string, some soulful takes on “In My Life” and “Something,” and a nearly unrecognizable version of “Get Back” that had the crowd dancing hard. At times, the crowd sang along with the well-known melodies, and it was clear that both the band and crowd were totally into it and having a blast. After a quick break, they returned to the stage for a one-song encore capping off a stellar show with a rockin’ version of the Abbey Road classic “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” I was able to grab most of the tune on video:
Soulive @ Brooklyn Bowl, 3.9.10 – “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” [YouTube]
It was a perfect way to end a super fun show. it was so fun in fact, I might just have to return for another round of “Bowlive” later this week. Check out the full photo gallery of the night’s festivities below:
[flickrset id=”72157623468245573″ thumbnail=”square” overlay=”true” size=”large”]
If you’re interested in a recap of the band’s first week at Brooklyn Bowl, head on over to Royal Family Records site.
