Trombone Shorty and his crew brought their summery version of Mardi Gras to Grand Rapids on Thursday and raindrops couldn’t slow them — or concertgoers — down. (Review, photos)
Music fans don’t come to Local Spins for a weather recap, but there are times when the whims of atmospheric pressure have a profound impact on the course of a musical performance.
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Such was the case Thursday night for Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s funk-jazz-rock-fueled sold-out return visit to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
New Orleans native Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and the five-piece Orleans Avenue delivered a blistering, crowd-shaking, 95-minute set in spite of torrential downpours that persisted off-and-on (more “on” than “off”) for much of the evening. It’s to the musicians’ credit — and reflective of the audience’s engagement — that the amphitheater remained bustling throughout the early summer deluge.
If anything, the rain only added to the free-spirited party atmosphere established by Andrews and his band. (I believe I even glimpsed Andrews throwing Mardi Gras beads and trinkets at one point to the crowd, but my glasses were too fogged up for me to commit fully to this assertion.)
And while some fair weather attendees bolted for the exit at the first whiff of a sprinkle, a majority held out to the sweet, soggy end/encore; an original number that morphed into a raucous take on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away.” Fitting, since Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue were the Peppers’ tour support band earlier this year, and just last weekend the California band played at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.
‘WASN’T THAT JUST THE BEST?’ MOST WOULD AGREE
It was worth it alone to stick around and watch Andrews and crew assemble in center-stage team huddle before breaking to head to the drum set for a group session on the kit.
“Wasn’t that just the best?” one woman said to me after the house lights came up and I walked past her up the steps. Her face was stretched wide into a grin, her auburn hair stuck to her cheeks, her clothes dripping onto the grass.
“There’s no way you can’t be smiling,” another woman announced to passersby as we sloshed our way to the parking lot.
While Andrews owes a good portion of his fame to the brass instrument for which he takes his stage name, the musician/philanthropist/actor/producer also shows prowess for the trumpet and vocals, with a little tambourine playing to boot.
Keeping in line with his other recent turns in Grand Rapids (a venue-opening set in February at 20 Monroe Live, and a 2015 show at Meijer Gardens), Andrews’ winning combo of energy and musicianship set and maintained a fun, lively vibe for the duration of the show. He promised to once again return to our city, and those who missed his previous visits would be wise to take note.
Lansing-area singer-songwriter Taylor Taylor warmed up the crowd with a precipitation-free opening set of jazzy acoustic pop. Going solo with her acoustic guitar, the 20-year-old performer demonstrated considerable poise as she worked her way through a 30-minute mix of covers (including Leonard Cohen’s oft-visited “Hallelujah”) and original material. She’ll return to the Gardens on Aug. 22 with her band for Tuesday Evening Music Club.
PHOTO GALLERY: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Taylor Taylor at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Anthony Norkus
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