When Neal Francis returned home to Chicago for a show at Thalia Hall, the vintage pianoman brought some backup with him. With an 11-piece lineup expanding on his usual quartet, Neal delivered brassy, beefed-up takes on his growing cache of originals and documented the results for his new live album, Francis Comes Alive.

The recording of the sold-out show marks Francis’ first official live release. As the keyboardist/singer/songwriter’s profile has continued to rise in the live music community, he’s visibly embraced aspects of the jam scene that has mutually embraced him. From posting nightly setlists to even joining ever-rising indie jam band Goose in New Orleans, Francis has continued to push the boundaries of his neo-R&B to new places.

Nowhere is that continuous evolution as evident as on Francis Comes Alive. Neal’s already rock-solid quartet balloons into an 11-piece freight train of funk, emboldened by the addition of a horn section, extra percussion, backup vocalists, and even keyboards. That extra oomph is felt throughout elongated tellings like the ripping “Prometheus”, the “Sentimental Garbage” that builds from a slow jam into a funking frenzy, and the triumphant closing “BNYLV”.

As one would expect from the analog purist, Neal recorded Francis Comes Alive direct to 1″ tape, with mixing by Chris Connors (Bartees Strange, Lady Wray, El Michels Affair), and mastered by JJ Golden. Fans hear the show exactly how it happened, with no edits or overdubs. A full concert film directed by Alec Basse will follow later this year.

Audiences across the country will be able to catch a glimpse of the expanded Neal Francis band with an end-of-year run of concerts. The band will play a small run of Southeast shows in Charleston, SC (11/30), Atlanta, GA (12/1), Asheville, NC (12/2), and Raleigh, NC (12/3) before closing out 2023 in Denver with a New Year’s Eve show at the Ogden Theatre. Tickets and a full list of tour dates are available here.

Stream Neal Francis’ live album Francis Comes Alive below or on your preferred streaming platform.

Neal Francis — Francis Comes Alive

Neal Francis – “Don’t Want You To Know” [Live At Thalia Hall]

Neal Francis – “Sentimental Garbage” [Live At Thalia Hall]