On Friday, February 17, 2017, Atlanta funk ensemble Voodoo Visionary released their highly anticipated sophomore album, Off The Ground. The group celebrated with a sold-out show that night at Aisle 5 in Atlanta, with support from Alabama’s Little Raine Band and Tennessee’s Opposite Box. This marked the band’s fourth straight sold-out performance in Atlanta and first as a headliner.
As the band’s second studio effort, Off The Ground is a journey deeper into the rhythms from which Voodoo Visionary collect their influence. Co-engineers and producers Mark Michaelson and Josh Thane of WonderDog Sound Studios provide expertise that allows the ensemble to comfortably explore multiple genres and results in a tight performance throughout all thirteen tracks. The band’s musicality shines through in the compositions of each song, with influences ranging from the beginnings of R&B, blues, and bluegrass to modern jazz, funk, and soul. The compositions themselves show an evolution in Voodoo Visionary’s writing and the performance is clean and well thought out while maintaining the raw energy of the band’s live show.
For Off The Ground, Voodoo Visionary’s core members Dennis Dowd (keys), Jimmy Lynch (bass), Scott MacDonald (vocals), Mac Schmitz (drums), and Mike Wilson (guitar) were joined by frequent collaborators Martin Anderson (saxophone and horn arrangements), Paul Nelson (trombone), Ben Otieno (trumpet), and Jose Rivera (percussion) as well as guest vocalists Austin Cobb, Vanessa Graniero, and Christopher Micheal. These guests and featured musicians are all members of the Atlanta and Athens, GA music scenes and help create a diverse range of sounds from track to track. Off the Ground is sure to signal Voodoo Visionary’s arrival at a new chapter of their own development and success in their activities and upcoming performances.
Video from the sold-out performance at Aisle 5 was shot and edited by Nathan Reetz. Check out this new multi-cam footage, below.
Following album release shows in Atlanta, Asheville, and Athens, Voodoo Visionary heads out on tour this week in support of their new album. Check out the tour dates below!
Voodoo Visionary Tour Schedule
03/02 Dunedin Brewery | Dunedin FL
03/03 Funk Fest 8 | Punta Gorda FL w/ The Motet, & more
03/04 Funk Fest 8 | Punta Gorda FL w/ The Motet, Dumpstaphunk & more
03/07 Tanqueray’s | Orlando FL w/ Voodoo Visionary
03/08 St. Matthew’s Tavern | Orlando FL (open jam hosts)
03/09 1904 Music Hall | Jacksonville FL w/ Gang of Thieves
03/10 Fire Betty’s | Tallahassee FL
03/16 Preservation Pub | Knoxville TN
03/17 Mercy Lounge | Nashville TN
03/18 Revelry Room | Chattanooga TN
04/15 Infinite Energy Arena | Duluth GA (Georgia Swarm pre-game)
04/22 Sweetwater 420 Fest | Atlanta GA
04/28 Good Ol’ Days | Cumming GA
05/04-07 CukoRakko Music and Arts Festival | Steele AL
