Galactic @ The Granada Theater

Note from the baconator: Everybody say hello to another new Dallas reviewer: Josh (TBD) Knight. Josh blows shit up for a living – be it buildings during his 9 to 5 or parties ‘n shows once he’s off the job. I’ve known him forever (both in this life and in several prior) and I’m filled with glee to welcome him to the staff here at Breakfast on Tour… -bacon

It’s been a few years since I’ve seen the boys from NOLA rip it up, so I was understandably pumped when I saw they were playing at one of my favorite venues in town, the Granada Theater. I walked in to hear Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle finishing up their set. Mike, who sometimes plays percussion with Les Claypool and Ani Difranco, was wailing away like a madman on an electric vibraphone. Read on for the rest of my review, and to check out some more of Hash Brown’s pics after the jump.

Words by Josh Knight
Photos by Hash Browns

The vibraphone is essentially an electric xylophone, and it gave the intense music an upbeat, almost Carnivàle, feel to it. The other band members, Go-Go Ray on drums, JJ Jungle on bass and Brad Houser on the saxophone, were holding down a steady rhythm and the mid-sized crowd was grooving to the music. During this final song, each band member also had an extended solo which showed off their impressive skills – making me sorry for arriving a bit late.

After a short break for equipment setup, the main attraction was onstage. Galactic came out with a new member I’ve yet to see them with - Corey Henry, one of the trombone players from the Rebirth Brass Band. Throughout the night, Corey more than proved that he deserves a spot in this band of musician’s musicians. They began the night with “Blackbird Special,” ensuring a show that sizzled from the start. Breaks and transitions were spot on and the energy was high. They played an array of songs spanning their albums from “Late for the Future” to “From the Corner to the Block.”

Solos by drummer Stanton Moore and trombonist Corey Henry were quite complex and showed off how talented these cats really are. During one of Corey’s solos he got out into the crowd and walked around the room and to the back, all while blasting the crowd with trombone domination. Once back on the stage he climbed up one of the support beams, and, dripping with sweat and putting everything he had into his music, continued playing his solo 20 feet above the ground.

Needless to say, it got us in the crowd going apeshit and Galactic took full advantage by keeping the rest of their set full-throttle and high-energy. All in all the song selection was amazing, the playing was spot on, and the show was something to be talked about for days to come. If you haven’t seen Galactic check out their website and be sure to see ‘em if they’re coming to a town near you.