It’s not often you get to catch a Grammy Award winner at an intimate venue like The Imperial in Vancouver. The Brasstracks swung through on their Vibrant Tour and treated fans to an off the hook performance.
The night opened up with Bronx rapper Kemba, backed by DJ Charlie Hustle. He got the crowd going early with some deep rhymes. His delivery was smooth, complex and genuine. He’s definitely one to watch for on the charts.
Brasstracks then took things to a whole other level. With trumpet and synth player Ivan Jackson back and forth on the stage to Conor Rayne’s driving drum beats I was looking for Justin Timberlake or Bruno Mars to jump out at any second.
With both another trumpet and trombone backing them, Brasstracks moved from groovy R&B to hip-hop with jazz and electro influences. There were lots of recognizable riffs including tracks from James Brown and Stevie Wonder. Ivan took a second to take a little dig at Ja Rule and his scandalous Fyre Festival with a cover of “Livin’ It Up”.
But it was a full-on dance party, to the point where Ivan shouted “don’t break the floor!” It didn’t stop the ebb and flow of the music however.
There was also a shoutout to how the Imperial was one of their very first live performances years ago; “We honestly didn’t know what we were doing” he quipped but was grateful that they could return for a very polished performance.
Brasstracks made a point of getting the crowd to cheer as they brought out opener Kemba to join them on a few tracks and later on tour mate Pell came out for several songs. Pell was high-energy, fun and compelling; dressed in some bright colours straight out of a Fresh Prince episode. The New Orleans native was clearly a hit with the fans as his performance was catchy and interactive.
The high energy feedback looped from band to crowd and back. There was also a shoutout to lighting guru Don, who Ivan called “The Illuminator”, all in good fun.
Brasstracks is a group to watch out for; they are definitely ready to take their act to the next level and some bigger venues. Catch them next time they are in town and bring your dancing shoes.
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written by Scotty Evil / photos by Red Lenses Photography
