Neo-soul band Black Pumas brought down the house with psychedelic R&B beats at The Sylvee Sept. 13 — Friday the 13th — continuing their “Chronicles of a Diamond” tour.
The crowd — an eclectic group of a youthful indie crowd mixed with old-school soul music lovers — immediately was on their feet when opening act Chicago artist Ric Wilson took to the stage. Playing “We Love Us,” Wilson started the show with his funk-infused rap, chalk with throbbing drums and saxophone solos. Wilson electrically break-danced across the stage, encouraging the crowd to dance and chant along as Wilson called “power to the people.”
When the Pumas opened their set with “Fire,” flashing red lights filled the stage, sending the crowd screaming at the familiar pounding rhythms laced with sharp notes from the electric guitar. Eric Burton’s glorious vocals rang through the theater, reminding attendees that soul is not an entirely dying genre.
Mixing new-aged rhythms with classic blues and jazz, the Pumas created a unique sound that calls back to their Southern roots while simultaneously celebrating the origins of funk and soul. Along with Burton, guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada crafted a sound that manages to be both classic and nuanced.
Continuing the set, the Pumas played hits like “Know You Better,” “Black Moon Rising” and “Stay Gold.” During “More than a Love Song,” lead singer Burton jumped past security to join the crowd. Swarming Burton, the crowd sang along as Burton sang beloved lyrics “fly together.”
But in true Pumas fashion, the performance was both sultry and vivid, ending on a high note as the Pumas performed their Grammy-nominated hit “Colors.” The crowd erupted as Burton sang the famous lyrics “My sisters and my brothers, see em’ like no other. All my favorite colors,” as rainbow lights flashed across the stage.
Exiting the stage, the crowd cheered for Burton and the Pumas crew to come back on. For their encore, Burton reentered the stage to solo perform a reverb rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Starkly different from the fast pace of the previous tracks, the song showed a vulnerable Burton lamenting on his path to fame. For their grand finale, the Pumas finished with “Rock and Roll,” a song that perfectly displays the Puma’s blend of funk, rock and soul. Lights raved across the stage in deranged directions as Burton claimed “Who am I? Who are we? Rock and Roll” in epic chaos. At The Sylvee on Friday the 13th, the Black Pumas certainly proved they are rock and roll’s new face.
Rebekah Irby is an arts editor for The Daily Cardinal.
