Stephen Bruner, AKA Thundercat, has built a name as one of the most important studio bassists in the music industry. Working with Flying Lotus, Solange, Erykah Badu, Kamasi Washington, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kendrick Lamar and countless others, there’s a good chance you have heard Thundercat slay before, even if you’ve never heard of Thundercat. The show was sold out, thanks in part to the release of his new LP, Drunk just the day before.
The show on Saturday at The Concord Music Hall began with some unexpected opening acts: comedian Zack Fox and in a semi-secret appearance, comedian and Chicago native, Hannibal Buress. Zack Fox began the night with his own irreverent style that was meant to leave a bad taste in your mouth, and he absolutely succeeded. However, if you weren’t able to laugh at at least one of his jokes you might be taking your life too seriously.
Hannibal Buress came to the stage as a surprise guest, though most attendees with a Twitter had gotten wind of it earlier in the day. He talked about working with Thundercat, being from Chicago, people secretly taping his standup, and the joys of Cialis. Hannibal was a welcome surprise and it felt very organic; he seemed glad to be on the bill with a few of his friends.
Thundercat himself took the stage after Hannibal. On the heels of an excellent EP, Thundercat has released his newest LP, Drunk, and it’s instantly evident that it is a blast to hear in a live setting. Though it was released just the day before on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, the crowd already had a good feel for the new material.
Thundercat is a virtuoso on the bass, the exquisite sounds that came out of his 6 string hollow body signature Ibanez, seemed almost impossible, especially considering that he played for nearly 2 hours. He also played many of his older hits along with some of the work that he’s collaborated on with other musicians, such as Kendrick Lamar’s “These Walls.” While his work on the bass was astounding, it’s also fair to note that the band he has put together is just as impressive. Josh Brown on drums and Dennis Hamm on the keyboards flow flawlessly with Thundercat’s jams. These three men seemed like they could probably continue playing for another two hours without playing a single repetitive phrase.
This was one of the most impressive shows that I have been to in a long while. If you don’t know Thundercat, now you know. Check out some more photos in the Gallery below.
- Photo Credit: Rosie/Pursuit Of Dopeness
