Last Saturday, June 13th, Central Park was filled with grateful concertgoers for another incredible, free performance at Summer Stage. It sold/souled out quickly; over 5,000 people were there that afternoon.
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Enter the musicians. The Soul Rebels are lined up from trumpet to sax to trombone to sousaphone. Everyone has a mic; everyone sings and chants the lines. The horn phrases are authentic. They come to bring the NOLA vibes to us. The authenticity can be heard clearly through their intricate horn movements and uptempo, hiphop inspired beats.
While gospel vocal harmonies bellow out, one notices the in-crowd of New Yorkers filing into Central Park. There’s a palatable joy exuded by the people around. Guys are suns out guns out with new shades. Girls are flawlessly flaunting sundress skirts and tight tops.
The audience is transported to the 504 for free. This is what is going on while the Soul Rebels bring the heat; summer doesn’t even technically start until the 21st. They wrapped up their set and thanked the audience kindly.
With a quick intro, loud applause, and a jam in F, people start losing their shit. That’s how Lettuce’s set began. Shmeeans said his first show was at Summer Stage, “So here’s to full circles New York and love.”
Horns are crispy tight; bass guitar and left hand keys keep the low end bumping. Deitch is killin’ and remains a phenomenon on drums we are all lucky to behold. Along with the famous flames grooves and locked in tightness they’re world rebounds for, this set has a psychedelic shredding vibe to it. Epic multi-instrumental harmonies, guitar and sax lines blast out of nowhere to elevate their solos to spacey, almost Eddie Van Halen like proportions. It’s been long foretold of the Dead’s influence on Lettuce, and at Summer Stage that was front and center. Shmeeans channeled sober 80s Jerry with auto wah pedal finesse. Deep delay washed intros to make the crowd feel a healthy insane were undulating every other song.
At most it’s ragetastic, and at its chilliest bits pleasant as fuck. It’s that kind of heat that can be easily escaped under the ancient elms on this Dutch swindled island. The newer songs are triumphant and beg for the likes of Baby Huey. The most climactic moment was the “Superbad” Jam with the Soul Rebels and the ever-powerful front man Nigel Hall.
Just being there, it was easy to see what Summer Stage is all about. Everyone on stage and in the crowd had a smile on his or her face, everyone present that day was grateful to be there. It’s a free outside concert of world-class musicians, and a chance for the artists to do what they love for fans in the dog days of spring; barely anyone even had an iPhone in their face.
You can catch the Soul Rebels with hip-hop legends Rakim, Slick Rick, Prodigy (Mobb Deep), Styles P and Sheek Louch, as well Eric Krasno (Soulive/Lettuce), at NYC’s Blue Note on June 25. Meanwhile, Lettuce will be making the rounds with Umphrey’s McGee this summer, including a stop at The Stone Pony in NJ on 7/17 followed by Philly’s Penn’s Landing on 7/18 (+ our official Break Science afterparty).