Charles Walker and The Dynamites: A swell dance party
“I can feel you feelin’ it,” Charles Walker declared from the stage toward the end of his show Saturday night at The Earl. Walker and The Dynamites had just whipped the audience into a mad frenzy of spiritual funk bliss with Walker as the preacher, arching and bending his body to emit sounds not heard live since James Brown left the planet. The Dynamites backed Walker with organ and horns, drums and guitar and bass coming right at you with full force. In the middle of it all The Earl’s soundman Curt Wells shouted in my ear “You are about to get your ass kicked by a flute solo” and sure enough seconds later in the middle of another fury of electric funk and human emotion Dynamites saxophonist Chris West plays a beautiful flute solo. It was that kind of night - one of pleasurable surprises, like local soul singer Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics opening the show with a great set of passionate bluesy retro soul music. You knew it was going to be a good show when audience members were practicing dance moves during the break between the opening band and the headliner. “He tells us he’s 65 but he could be 67,” said guitarist and band leader Leo Black. But after seeing him Saturday night, I’d swear he’s 25.
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Photo credit:
For a gallery of images from this concert, click here.
(Photo and text by Joeff Davis)