On Friday night, Turkuaz made a stop at Los Angeles, CA’s Teragram Ballroom for a jam-packed one-set performance.
Turkuaz’s last Los Angeles performance was at the same venue, and it was clear out of the gates how much progress the band has quickly made in such a short period of time. Once the music started, there was something decidedly different about this Brooklyn-based neo-funk outfit–something deeper, more thoughtful, more mature, and more complete.
This comes as no surprise though, certainly not following the release of Turkuaz’s latest album, Life in the City. The LP projects a broader perspective, with themes of alienation, isolation, and self-destruction woven into the band’s fabric of vibrant fun. That’s as much the result of having Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison help produce the record, as well as getting more members of the band to partake in an extended songwriting process.
“We threw all of the paint on the canvas,” singer and guitarist Dave Brandwein mentioned on the band’s website. Brandwein’s sentiment showed without a shadow of doubt whenever Turkuaz tapped into the newer crannies of their catalogue last night. The funktastic slaps and tooting horns of “Make You Famous” burst through with a more brooding-edge. “Lady Lovely,” with Josh Schwartz on vocals and baritone sax, hearkened back to the band’s intergalactic thematics, albeit bolstered by a significant addition of sexual tension. “If I Ever Fall Asleep”, a staple of Turkuaz’s rotation prior to the release of Life in the City, took on a different tone by musical osmosis within the context of the album.
Even the group’s stage presentation demonstrated development—none more evident than the shifting spotlights during the title track. So did the sheer organization of the setlist, with yellow-themed singer Shira Elias enlisted to lead the close of the main set with “The Question.” The addition of a Talking Heads cover (“Slippery People”) to the list came as a fitting homage to the band’s recent production partnership.
But the Turkuaz of 2019 wasn’t limited to the new material. Though the notes and lyrics of the band’s standards—from “Bubba Slide,” “Tiptoe Through the Crypto,” “20 Dollar Bill” and “E.Y.E.” to “Percy Thrills the Moondog,” “European Festivity Nightmare,” “Back to Normal” and “Coast to Coast”—hadn’t changed to any great degree, they were delivered with a bit more gusto, alongside a dollop of experimentation.
The most electrifying moment of the night, though, may well have been Josh Schwartz’s turn at the mic on a cover of the Joe Cocker version of “With a Little Help From My Friends.” Beyond Josh’s stirringly sincere vocals, the song itself spoke most directly to what Turkuaz has become as a band. Where once it was a talented outfit jamming to some funky fresh tunes, Turkuaz is now closer to a fully vested music machine, infused with the thoughts and emotions of all the men and women who comprise its expansive lineup.
Checkout a beautiful gallery of photos below courtesy of photographer Dani Brandwein.
For a full list of Turkuaz’s upcoming tour dates and ticketing information, head to the band’s website.
Setlist: Turkuaz | Teragram Ballroom | Los Angeles, CA | 2/1/2019
Set: Bubba Slide, E.Y.E, Make You Famous, Tip Toe Through the Crypto, 20 Dollar Bill, If I Ever Fall Asleep, One & Lonely, M’Lady*, Lady Lovely, Percy Thrills the Moondog, European Festivity Nightmare, Slippery People^, Life In The City, Back To Normal, With A Little Help From My Friends~, The Question
Encore: Electric Habitat, Coast To Coast
The post Turkuaz Brings Their Colorful Party To L.A.’s Teragram Ballroom [Photos] appeared first on L4LM.
