Instrumental music may have fallen out of style decades (if not centuries) ago, but it remains a reliable outlet for outstanding skill and ability for just about any implement known to humankind. While composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms would likely not be superstars today—not when catchy lyrics and addictive hooks drive the commercial side of the industry—there is still plenty of room for a troupe like TAUK to put its talents on glorious display.
Such was the case for the Oyster Bay, New York-based ensemble at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 25th. Exmag set the stage with some spectacularly funky, seismically bassy psychedelic electronica before ceding the spotlight to the TAUK. The quartet of A.C. Carter on keys, Isaac Teel on drums, Matt Jalbert on guitar and Charlie Dolan on bass blew away an ebullient crowd with its combination of space-age progressive rock and funktastically wavy bass music.
In a past life, TAUK might have taken off with a vocalist to tie together its spectacular musicianship. It wasn’t until 2011, when singer Alessandro Zanelli left the fold, that the group settled into a style sans lyrics that persists to this day. Not that TAUK couldn’t take that other road if it so desired. Teel, proudly clad in a road purple No. 24 Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers jersey, flashed his pipes while banging away on the drums during a stirring rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Power of Soul.”
Still, even Teel might admit that shifting his energy toward singing would siphon from his efforts driving TAUK’s rhythm. And as a whole, having a steady vocalist, however evocative, could hamstring the experimentation that’s allowed the band to tour so incessantly across the United States each year. That tradeoff may take a toll on the bottom line for such a gifted group, but for those who’ve had the privilege of taking in a TAUK show, they know there’s no need for a true host when every element is capable of shining, whether on its own or in tandem with the remaining trio.
Below, you can watch a selection of fan-shot videos and check out a gallery of photos from the show courtesy of photographer Brandon Weil.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
The post TAUK Takes Los Angeles’ Lodge Room By Storm With Blistering Instrumental Funk [Photos] appeared first on L4LM.
