Three kinds of soul for a single ticket is a hell of a deal, and these acts deliver. Worth fosters a sense of community in the crowd, captivating audience members much more than is common for first openers. Members have fun onstage, playing street music with heavy strumming and sultry vocals. The drummer plays like a hyperactive spider, keeping a solid soul rhythm to complement the saxophonist’s jazzy calm. Worth performs like buskers determined to gain and retain the crowd’s favor – a feat that comes easily to them.
Cool blue lights set the mood for Snarky Puppy, whose music would be the perfect soundtrack for a long nighttime drive in the Portland rain. The band acts as a cohesive team producing bass-heavy, horn-driven, straight-up funk. Though the stage is cluttered, each song is smooth and organized, giving the members opportunities to shine while playing as a unit. Most songs involve three or more impressive instrumental solos, particularly from the drummer.
If delicious funk that dabbles in multiple subgenres is your game, Allen Stone has your number. He’s warm, smooth, loud, inviting, and a whole lot of fun. The tunes floating off the stage are infectious, like soul vapors wafting right into your bloodstream. Greasy soul never sounded so sweet. His boundless energy, combined with commanding stage presence and a Stevie Wonder voice, keeps the all-ages crowd rocking. Once he breaks out the guitar, a singalong is in order. Audience members gleefully oblige. Keep an eye on Allen Stone, friends. He’s the face of 21st century soul, and he will only get bigger.