Drummer extraordinaire Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave brought his band Chris Dave & the Drumhedz to New Orleans for a show at Cafe Istanbul on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. The drummer from Houston has been touring in support of the project’s first eponymous full-length album, released earlier this year.
As a group of music students gathered around the drumset early on, the venue filled up one musician at a time, quickly turning into a veritable who’s who of our young and hip New Orleans music scene. And Dave proceeded to take them to school.
Justus Wright’s debut as a ‘drumhed’ at Cafe Istanbul on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. Photo by Noé Cugny.
Helped by vocalist Chris Turner, bassist Justin McKinney, percussionist Frank Moka and guitarist Justus Wright, Chris Dave delivered a rhythm-heavy set, reinventing classic songs with heavy groove and serene communication. Instead of an pre-made and overly curated set, the show rather had a workshop feel, with intricate quirks and inch-perfect arrangements being worked out between musicians in front of the audience with a very open demeanor.
The New Orleans show was 19-year-old guitarist Justus Wright’s debut as a ‘drumhead,’ and the band made sure he caught some light by all walking off stage for a solo interlude that showcased the youngster’s talents and profound sense of language.
After the show, Chris Dave posted the following text to Instagram:
@chrisdaddydave “Thank you New Orleans!!!!!!!!… best ever… glad u got to witness thevintroduction to our newest member of the drumhedz.. @justus.west … we will be back soon!!!!!!”
All photos by Noé Cugny. View the full gallery on Flickr.
