There is no better remedy to a natural disaster than a lil’ Space Capone, and judging by the line for the flood benefit at the Mercy Lounge Friday night, I think the rest of Nashville would agree.
"This is going to be the biggest Space Capone show ever," sax player Jody Douglas informed me as we walked in, and sure enough a packed house of eager dancers greeted us behind a cloud of fog and LED lights for the group’s CD release, entitled Volume II: Arrival, Arousal.
While waiting for the Space to take off, we were fortunate enough to be seduced by special guest Mikky Ekko. With his face painted similar to that of Beck’s on his Sea Change album cover, Ekko stood gracefully on stage caressing us all with his beautifully flawless voice.
With a tone as pure and haunting as Jonsi from Sigur Ros, and musical breakdowns that could rival Radiohead, seeing Mikky Ekko is nothing short of a transcendental experience. To get a better understanding of his alternative music listen to the track "Sedated" from his latest album Strange Fruit.
In case you’ve never had the privilege of hearing Space Capone, allow me to throw some adjectives at you: super tasty funkadelic tickle music, or how about, flamboyant golden soul tunes. At least, this is what bass player Drew Wilson and his rhythm partner, D.D. Holt will tell you.
Space Capone plays some of the funkiest tunes in town, and if your motto is "I just wanna dance," then I suggest you allow the group to take you in with their ’70s grooves and stage presence to match. The Mercy Lounge was hardly recognizable on Friday night, with a light show and accompanying fog machine that succeeded in creating the pefect atmosphere for their dance-induced songs.
While front man Aaron Winters (aka Space Capone) never goes without his retro garb and tinted shades, the entire group rocked a custom made Space Capone outfit, complete with wings and space-inspired Boy Scout patches. They’ve really got it all: smooth R&B vocals, a vibrant horn section, tasteful guitar playing and a tight rhythm section to seal the deal. Needless to say, their energy is unbeatable.
"I’m ready for two more hours," said trumpet player Mikie Martel after the show, and after a double encoure I think it’s safe to assume that the crowd would have stuck around until morning. If you didn’t get a chance to catch their album release, then pick up a copy and be sure to listen to "Booty" and "Major Kat." Don’t worry, there is plenty of funk to go around; these cats just keep getting better. – Mackenzie Grosser
Text REDCROSS to 90999 for a $10 donation to Nashville’s flood victims, and keep up the support by going to Flood Benefit shows. Keep your head up, Nashville.