Have you been getting your daily dose of music medicine? How about a four-night run with the funk trio Soulive? From funk to rock to soul to an all-out finale, Soulive is back at the Crystal Bay Casino with the second annual Snowlive music festival beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 20.
Each night features a fresh array of artists as well as a sweet and stimulating sound. All the singers and shredders on this spectacular bill are backed by Soulive members Eric Krasno on guitar, Alan Evans on drums, and Neal Evans on keys. They’ll be accompanied each night by the Shady Horns, the horn section backing Soulive’s side project, Lettuce.
It’s a star-studded lineup featuring some of funk and soul’s most accomplished musicians. Night one features a soul music showcase dedicated to Stax Records, one of the original southern soul music recording companies from the ’60s. With Booker T. Jones (one of Stax original musicians) in the house at the CBC, it’s sure to be a true testament to their sound. Joining Booker T. and Soulive is Louisiana soul singer Niki J. Crawford, whose sultry and sexy sounds have accompanied the Los Angeles funk act, Orgone.
Night two features a slide guitar, rock and roll showdown with the likes of Robert Randolph. Having grown up idolizing Stevie Ray Vaughn, Randolph has created his own style, sound, and fan base dedicated to making people feel good. His hope is to bridge the cultural gap between people who are 75 years old and 15-year-old kids by reaching back into the history of music.
Randolph and Soulive will be joined by the Slide Brothers, who embody the sacred steel tradition, which is rooted in Gospel music and blues. The steel guitar found its way into Gospel churches in the 1930s, mimicking voices. Now the style has been revised to rock out the masses in the musical church of the night, the concert venue.
This smorgasbord of talent will be capped off with Big Sam Williams, formerly the trombone player for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and one of the funkiest trombone powerhouses of our time.
Soulive will also be accompanied by Funky Meter’s singer/bassist George Porter, Jr., a staple in the New Orleans music scene.
Night four is the grand finale combining the sounds of New Orleans with the stupendous stage presence and vocal grace of Nicki Bluhm, who has made a major impact on the music scene over the last few years with her band Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers. Her voice, along with the voices of Papa Mali, George Porter, Jr., and the music of Soulive will no doubt knock the socks off this sure-to-be-sold-out crowd.
