With its bitter temperatures and seemingly never-ending snowfall, winter is bearing down on Buffalo and its residents. But don't worry about freezing, because the Showplace Theater has plans to heat things up Saturday with a packed night of fun-filled funk.
On the bill will be funky, fiddle-laced roots/reggae group Big Leg Emma, as well Buffalo's own funk squad Myoclonic Jerk and One World Tribe, and New York City jam band, ulu.
"The Jerk is all about the party," said Nate Lescovic, one of the two brothers heading out the horn section of this six-piece funk ensemble.
Calling their sound "whiteboy-turbo-astro-funk," the Jerk relies on a solid rhythm section, digital and analogue effect layered horns, and two crunching guitars. With a powerfully soulful sound, somewhat reminiscent of Original P and James Brown, they continuously showcase their talent and ability to get the crowd raging.
"Lots of bands in the scene are based around the Phish and Grateful Dead ideal of guitar-based jams," Lescovic said. "Instead of attempting to do what we know we can't do better, we're trying to create a little something special for all y'alls ears. The effects of our horns, samples, funk-slide guitar, our hip-hop styling, and attitude come to mind as examples."
Funk quartet ulu will hit the stage with some serious jazz/funk fusion. For the last few years, they have been one of the top touring jam acts in the country, bringing with them a distinct blend of old and new that "strives for the balance between intelligent composition and spontaneous improvisation with roots in funk and jazz," said Scott Chasolen, ulu's chairman of the boards on the keys.
With the goal of creating "unique sounds from night to night and to explore the world through music" in mind, Chasolen said ulu captures the essence of many genres, including jazz, funk, dub, spoken word, gospel and Latin into one cohesive sound.
"Buffalo is a cool place. People seem to be really into the music, and that's what keeps us interested in the people," Chasolen said. "It's an endless circle. Plus, it's therapeutic for me. I was traumatized by a herd of buffalo in my childhood. It gets easier to face the agonizing fear every time we return."
With a balance of improvisation and composition, ulu has gradually progressed through many styles and sounds into a purely energetic, dance-party machine. All joking aside, ulu will surely fire-up the Showplace.
The rapidly emerging Big Leg Emma have made a name for themselves opening shows throughout Western New York with their eclectic mixture of old-school funk and down-home roots reggae.
Another Buffalo tradition, the 10 permanent members of One World Tribe, will extend their positive energy and good vibes to what is sure to be a packed house. Their laid-back, feel-good music is perfect for anyone with tastes that steer close to Bob Marley.
The show will start at 8 p.m. The cost of tickets is $8 before the day of the show and $10 the day of.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
