Black Pumas

One Liner: Austin-based soul rock masters bringing good music back

Wikipedia Genre: Psychedelic soul, R&B, soul
Home: Austin!

Poster Position: 2
Both Weekends

Friday at 6pm on the Lady Bird Stage.

Thoughts:  I'm a little bummed that there isn't a new album out by now.  Their Spotify has three albums listed in the albums section, but its just the 2019 debut album, a 2020 Deluxe edition, and then a 2021 Expanded edition.  Better than nothing, but it would be cool to have real new material and not just live versions and covers tacked on.

But, the album is awesome.  You've almost assuredly heard the two singles that they play repeatedly here in Austin on the good local radio stations (98.9 and 100.1, for those of you who somehow don't know), but the whole disc is good.  It's a wonderful throwback of soul and funk and beautiful groove.  I'm so glad these dudes are from Austin.  Not too long ago, I read a short article about the band, and I loved the backstory.  Adrian Quesada is a long-time musician guy around the Austin scene (was part of Grupo Fantasma back in the day, and then started the rad Third Root rap group a few years back, and also played (plays?) with Brownout, a funky Latin thing), but the singer, Eric Burton, is just some dude with a golden voice but no other previous experience in anything in the business.  And yet now they were up for Best New Artist at the Grammy awards, and just sold out four straight shows at Stubbs.

Anyway, this album is lovely.  Strong and brash at times, soft and gentle at others, but it always sounds funky and groovy and Burton's voice is choice.  "Black Moon Rising" was the first single, but "Colors" has overtaken it with 67.8 million streams.

Yeah, buddy.  Get that classic soul vibe - those organs, the strings, the hand claps, the weaving little bass ditty.  And, of course, the voice.  So very cool.  When they do the little woo hoo woo hoo wooh hoo! bit, if you don't feel the need to shimmy and shake a little, then you're doing it all wrong.  Good stuff.  "Fire" is also a good tune.

My favorite of the expanded stuff offered up on the new versions of the disc is the cover of "Fast Car."  They keep it stripped down and showcase Burton's voice.  It's beautiful.

Live version from Stephen Colbert's show, but that actually sounds just like the version that is available on Spotify.  Simple and righteous.  Goosebump city when he hits those high notes.

They also did one of the Tiny Desk at Home shows, which is some fun stuff.

Love it.  Just feels like a renaissance for a style of music that went dormant but never should have - soul and rock should always have a place in people's ears.  Less mumble rap and more hard-working real bands making music!  And its also good fun to have this coming out of Austin.  "OCT 33" in that set sounds great!

Totally want to go see this show.  I'd be bummed out if I missed it.  Meghan Thee Stallion is a force of nature in her own way, but this is the right show for me.