A reconfigured group of the city’s finest players took a quick run up the east coast to principally play a friend’s 50th birthday party in Baltimore, but also stopped by two very NOLA friendly venues: the Brooklyn Bowl in New York and a little music temple called the 8X10 in Baltimore.
The 8X10 isn’t necessarily a neighborhood bar you go to to meet friends and have a beer.
It’s a hardcore music hall filled with serious music fans. Set up like a tiny version of Tipitina’s, including a small wrap around balcony, you are immediately struck upon walking in by how close you are to the band, making them seem larger than life.
On this night, the band was extraordinary, lead by none other than a founding member of the Meters, George Porter, Jr.
Joining Porter were Bonerama founders Craig Klein and Mark Mullins on trombone. Mullins has become a first call arranger for uber producer Don Was, writing arrangements for last year’s tribute concerts to Dr. John, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mavis Staples.
The band was finished off by John “Papa” Gros on keyboards and Funky Meters band mates Brian Stoltz and Terrence Houston on guitar and drums.
Tryptophunk played for over three hours, funking up New Orleans standards like “Big Chief” and “Hey Pocky Way” along with many classic standards like Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour,” Bobby Blue Bland’s “Love Light,” and Neil Young’s “Down By The River” sandwiched around Pink Floyd’s “Breathe.”
The sold out house stayed until the end.
All photos by Bob Adamek. Click here to view the gallery on Flickr.
