I wandered onto the Barbarella patio at the behest of a friend who “liked this band’s name,” unsure of what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect what Wikipedia describes as a “Kenyan house/funk/disco band.” Nor was the band exactly that in concert; more specifically, Just A Band is three dudes from Kenya making music that sounds a bit like scrolling through the radio dial. Genres blend together, as if in an on-the-fly mashup, while lead singer Blinky Bill half sings/half raps over the top.
When English was the language of choice the songs faltered, as witnessed by a song whose central refrain was the phrase “no jokes” repeated ad absurdum. When Bill sang in Swahili, though, it was awesome, with the neon red and blue lights evoking some half-imagined African club. Just A Band’s recorded material hasn’t moved me in quite the same way their SXSW set did, but somehow I’m OK with that.
