Holding down the swagger in the City of Angels, Orgone boasts a storied history over nearly two decades of making tail-feathers shake. From the halcyon days on the LA scene with pals like Breakestra, to a triumphant trio of albums on the iconic label Ubiquity, to their most recent 2019 scorcher Reasons, the krewe has long been a steady torch-bearer for authentically vibey funk and groove.

On a balmy East Bay Friday night, celebrated funk/soul squad Orgone returned to the New Parish in Oakland with a fiery performance, nearly one hundred minutes of flames that highlighted many colorful elements of their ever-engrossing live set. Led by co-founder/guitarist Sergio Rios, co-founder/keyboardist Dan Hastie and statue-esque vocalist extraordinaire Adryon de Leon, Orgone were certified groove merchants and delivered a monster performance to a packed room, an audience that was left reeling by the end of the night.

After a solid opening set from Sal’s Greenhouse, Orgone took the stage and started the rage with instrumental tracks “Party People” and then 2013’s “Revolt”. Soon thereafter, the towering, show-stopping frontwoman took her place at the front of the krewe and held court on “Do What You Came to Do” and “All Good Things”. When Ms. de Leon steps up front and center, she holds the room in the palm of her hand with a commanding presence, belting out the tunes with joyful aplomb. Yet there were more vocal stars in the sky on this night; other highlights included their unheralded Cyril Neville collaboration “Junkman”, plus “Workin’ for Love”, and a phenomenal run through “Testify, all with singer Terin Ector handling lead vocals.

The band was a mixture of familiar faces and new contributors, longtime drummer Sam Halterman and bassist Dale Jennings continued marching in the Orgone tradition with rhythms that were bathing in lusty grooves. Old school instrumentals like “Open Season” were given new life, and classics like “Dialed Up”, from the seminal album The Killion Floor, saw de Leon, Hastie and Rios sync up for some truly magical onstage chemistry. Auxiliary vocalist Terin Ector was a game-changer as well, finding the sweet spot harmonies alongside de Leon for many of the evening’s most sultry sing-alongs.  “We Can Make It” featured a priestly benediction from the lead vocalist de Leon, as the whole band channeled a Lenny Kravitz vibe to bring it on home. Stalwart guitarist Rios shined particularly bright when taking a minimalist, feedback-dripping solo on the blazing set ender “Earhole.”

After a roaring ovation, the beloved Los Angeles-based team returned for a smoking run through “Don’t Stop” that saw the mesmerized audience shaking what their mamas gave ‘em in a grand finale of epic proportions. Unfortunately, there was no time for their titanic closer, an always-torrid take on The Meters‘ “Ain’t No Use”–the song that first sold this writer on Orgone many Bear Creek moons ago. But alas, another tune was simply not necessary, as this swanky soul contingent had once again satiated our appetite for funk, and did so with maximum impact.

Setlist: Friday | 3/15/19 | New Parish | Oakland CA.

Party People, Revolt, Do What You Came to Do, All Good Things, All This Love, Light in Me, Junkman, Workin’ for Love, Ride My Swing, Open Season, Quit the Bit, Whisper, Easy Love, Dialed Up, Time Tonight, Testify, Be Thankful, We Can Make it, Earhole.

E: Don’t Stop

[words: B.Getz]