Spring has a nasty way of toying with Wisconsin residents. Sunny and warm one day, cold and snowy the next six. Despite the chills in the air, New Orleans funk staples Galactic brought the heat last night, April 7th, to Milwaukee’s Turner Hall Ballroom. Like any good live band, their studio work doesn’t even compare to the glory of the group’s live show.
As soon as the band started, the dancing commenced. Going from funk, to jazz, to rock, they played so fearlessly. The musicianship was top-notch. The vocals from Erica Falls were so soulful, and so passionate. The band covered Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” during the set. It was hard to believe how groovy and smooth this folk song could be.
After the classic, they moved into a higher energy “65 Bars and a Taste of Soul” that featured some great interplay between saxophonist Ben Ellman and trombonist Corey Henry. With Ellman on the left side of the stage and Henry on the right, they traded lick for lick, building off each other, just to switch to the other after a couple of measures.
Later in the set, during “Dolla Diva,” special guest vocalist Erica Falls made sure to make the night special for one young fan. One of the youngest in the crowd, this fan was riding the rail all night. He also happened to have a big afro of curly hair. Falls got crouched as she sang, and got only inches away from him, put her hands in his thick, curly hair, and smiled and winked at him. No doubt it made his night, and the rest of the crowd enjoyed it too.
Near the end of the set, Henry got on the vocals to amp up the audience. He got the crowd chanting, “Who Dat?” in reference to the football team. The famous logo fleur-de-lis was tattooed on his forearm, bursting with pride for the city.
It was awesome that Galactic shared some of the great southern New Orleans music with the Wisconsin folks last night. Check out the band’s setlist below:
Setlist: Galactic at Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI – 4/7/16
Set: Karate, Right One, Hard Times, Out in the Street, AP Tureaud, Balkan Wedding, Higher, Hey Na Na, Like a Rolling Stone, 65 Bars and a Taste of Soul, Long Live the Borgne, Dolla Diva, Into the Deep, Ooh Nah Nay, Heart of Steel
Encore: Go Go, Going Down Slowly
A full gallery from Ojeda Photography can be seen below:
