Vancouver funksters Five Alarm Funk put the fun back in funk during a fun filled, sold out show at the Slice, June 23 — which was a popular fundraiser of CKXU, 88.3's Love And Records, Sept. 13.
I could only stay for one set of the late starting show, but it was a blast.
They kicked things off by playing their brand new CD “Abandon Earth,” beginning with the upbeat ice cream man song “We All Scream,” which got most of the crowd on their feet and dancing up a sweaty storm in front of the stage.
“It's 500 degrees o’clock,” quipped frontman and drummer Tayo Branston, already shirtless after the first song.
There was a lot of brass, percussion and good natured energy coming off the stage which the crowd was eating up. They also had a solid bassline keeping those feet moving.
Thomas Towers was a blur on the bongos as he mimed “digging” reflecting the storyline of the new album where the band, hopped up on psychedelic ice cream, dig a hole to the centre of the earth.
There weren’t many costumes or props in the first set, but there didn’t really need to be. “ Higgs Boson” was another newer highlight
An older crowd favourite “Wash My Face” was a highlight of the first set which ended with a massive percussion solo on “Iron Pegasus” from their 21012 album “Rock the Sky.”
The Love and Records line-up includes Shout Out Out Out Out, the Wet Secrets, both from Edmonton, Outlaws of Ravenhurst, Savk and High Kicks from Calgary, The Invasives and Ben Everyman from Vancouver and lots of local acts including jazz trio HBO3, the Utilities, Treeline and Shaela Miller, Leeroy Stagger, Dave McCann and Young Medicine plus the Girls Rock Camp and Global Drums steel band.
