Fresh off the recent release of Lifted, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Anderson’s second album for Blue Note Records, his traveling mini-festival of funk that is Voodoo Threauxdown made its way to Northern Virginia for a nearly four-hour show at Wolf Trap. The recent performance headlined by Trombone Shorty included four bands whose members span the history and the future of New Orleans music.
Stream Lifted by Trombone Shorty on Spotify:
At Wolf Trap on June 18, The Soul Rebels were the first act to take the stage. Described once by Village Voice as, “The missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong,” The Soul Rebels are an eight-piece that expand the traditional New Orleans brass band sound with influences from the worlds of hip-hop, rock, funk and pop. The band has performed with the likes of Katy Perry, Green Day and DMX, just to name a few. When not on tour, the Soul Rebels maintain a weekly residence at the legendary New Orleans club Le Bon Temps Roule on Thursday nights.
With the crowd warmed up from The Soul Rebels quick 35-minute set, next up was Dumpstaphunk who put together a set that honored New Orleans past: namely the Neville Brothers and The Meters.
Created from a spontaneous set during New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2003, Dumpstaphunk’s founding members Ivan Neville (vocals/keyboards), Ian Neville (guitar), Tony Hall (bass/guitar/vocals), and Nick Daniels (bass/vocals), along with newest members Alex Wasily (trombone), Ashlin Parker (trumpet), and Deven Trusclair (drums), have built upon the Neville family’s iconic legacy and have become NOLA’s pre-eminent 21st-century funk-fusion export.
The Dumpstafunk set was complimented with guest appearances of two patriarchs of the NOLA sound, George Porter, Jr., the iconic bassist from The Meters, and Neville Brothers co-founder, Cyril Neville (aka, “The Uptown Ruler”)
Next up, Tank and the Bangas took the stage for the penultimate set of the evening. Winners of the 2017 and 2019 NPR Tiny Desk contests, the members of Tank and the Bangas met at a New Orleans open mic show in 2011. Their sound has been described as a powerful fusion of funk, soul, hip-hop, rock, and spoken word.
Everything about Tank and the Bangas set was big, proud, and funky. Frontwoman, Tarriona “Tank” Ball strutted out on stage, oozing with confidence and vigor, clad in a neon green leopard print outfit which included a cape. Midway through the set, Tank welcomed Big Freedia to the stage. The on-stage chemistry of the two big personalities was electric.
Capping the evening was the 75-minute headliner set by Trombone Shorty and his band, Orleans Avenue. As the band played the intro, Trombone Shorty made his way to the stage, clad in white denim from head to toe and clutching his trombone in the left hand and trumpet in the right. As the music reached its peak, he raised both above his head in the triumphant pose of a champion boxer.
The crowd roared in appreciation as the band kicked into its first song, Buckjump. The setlist included a mix of songs from the new album (“Lifted,” “I’m Standing Here,” “Come Back,” and “Might Not Make It Home”) some older material, and some covers like “It Ain’t No Use” by The Meters and “On Your Way Down” by Allen Toussaint.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue is lead by Troy Anderson (trombone, trumpet, and lead vocals) along with Pete Murano and Joshua Connelly (guitars), BK Jackson (tenor saxophone), Dan Oestreicher (baritone saxophone), Joey Peebles and Alvin Ford (drums), Mike “Bass” Bailey (bass), and Chrishira Perrier and Tracci Lee (vocals).
Setlist:
- Buckjump
- It Ain’t No Use (Meters cover)
- Where It At?
- Lifted
- I’m Standing Here
- The Craziest Things
- One Night Only (The March)
- Come Back
- On Your Way Down (Allen Tousaint cover)
- Might Not Make It Home
- Long Weekend / Get Up Offa That Thing (James Brown cover)
Encore: Hurricane Season / When the Saints Go Marching In
Enjoy some additional photos of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue performing during the Voodoo Threauxdown tour at Wolf Trap, June 18, 2022. All photos copyright and courtesy of Ari Strauss.
