Entertainment

Who Dat? Soul Rebels, Dats Who! Soul Rebels Play the Brooklyn Bowl

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Though I currently reside in the Manhattan area and have been living here a few years now, I am actually from New Orleans, Louisiana, and lately been feeling pretty homesick. Though normally this can be kicked with a quick call home, I just couldn’t shake the blues this time around. I’m sure all those born and raised in New Orleans and now living elsewhere can relate to this issue, and like me, attempts to cure their homesickness through their mouths, recreating some of the city’s one of a kind cuisine, or ears, with tunes that keep our bodies moving and shaking. However, recreating the one of a kind experience of dancing through the French Quarter on a muggy December evening (because December feels no different than August), a belly full of beignets, is easier said than done. You simply can’t just put some Tabasco on a Popeyes biscuit, throw on some Lil Wayne, and call it a day- not in an extreme case of the blues. Just like the food, New Orleans music is very unique and specific to the culture, and in order to really kick the NOLA homesick blues, an authentic experience is necessary, awakening all the senses in a jovial jubilee. Well, my mom’s mama bird antenna must have sensed that her baby bird was feeling a little low and missing the nest, as she called me with perfect cure- a Soul Rebels show was happening that very evening, at the Brooklyn Bowl! That’s right! I was able to get a taste of my native New Orleans without having to leave New York and go through one of those new airport security X-ray machines that, though beneficial for safety during air travel, basically captures embarrassing nudie photos for total strangers to ogle at, while checking for illegally smuggled items.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the wonder that is the Soul Rebels, they are a bumping brass band; once a beloved New Orleans secret, playing at the local watering hole every Thursday night, the Bon Temps Roulé, now a mainstream, international sensation! Since 2012, they have played almost every major concert series, from Bonnaroo, to Austin City Limits, to Electric Forrest, and have collaborated with major artists such as Rick Ross, Metallica, Green Day, Galactic, Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia and many more. They have also been billed alongside major artists such as Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Cee Lo Green, Arcade Fire, Ice Cube, Shaggy, and have been featured on the HBO soundtrack for the hit show, Tremé.

It is clear Soul Rebels are blowing up on the music scene, and the continuing their upward momentum, by playing a sold out show at the Brooklyn Bowl on August 15th, alongside Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Jean Grae, Skyzoo & Torae, and Joey Bada$$. Their unique, electrifying rhythmic compositions and high energy performance proved irresistible to even the most modest concert attendees, as everybody got up on the floor and enjoyed themselves, just as their song Unlock Your Mind commands. I felt my heart thump in time with the powerful bass lines, and I could literally feel the music ignite all my senses, while my friends and I danced the night away. A Mardi Gras in itself, the Soul Rebels rocked the house, providing me with the necessary dose of NOLA funk and soul I was craving.

Though I will always love New York City, the experience certainly made me proud to call the 504 home. There is an old New Orleans exclamation we say, after tasting an exceptionally delicious dish, “Tastes so good, makes you wanna slap yo Mama!” A phrase of endearment, I think it totally applied to my Soul Rebels concert experience- except in this case, the Soul Rebels sounded so spicy good, made me want to hug my Mama!

For your own taste of “that Rebel music”, check out these videos of some of their other live performances, right here:

Live at The Brooklyn Bowl (ft. John Medeski):

Live at the Blue Nile in New Orleans, LA:

Live playing their cover of Eurythmics song, Sweet Dreams:

If you looking for a night of pure excitement and fun, I highly suggest you check out the Soul Rebels tour schedule, and see if they are playing a town near you: Soul Rebels Concert Schedule.

Also, if you are headed to New Orleans any time soon, still loyal to their roots, the Soul Rebels still play shows at the Bon Temps practically every Thursday night!

So Let it Roll and laissez bon temps rouler pour toujours, Soul Rebels- because New York’s got nothing but love for ya!

Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5