On Saturday night, Terminal 5 in New York City turned into a New Orleans party when Louisiana band Galactic and Florida natives JJ Grey & Mofro brought a fusion of funk and jazz to a venue full of loyal fans. While the weather outside was bitterly cold, the bands heated up the audience with funky horns and stellar jams.
JJ Grey & Mofro opened up the show at 8 PM to a crowd that was still filing into the venue, but when they were finished at 9:30, the room was packed to the walls. Their style of southern rock, soul, and funk really got the crowd amped up and dancing to nearly every tune. JJ Grey proved his status as an entertaining front man by urging the crowd to sing along and let their bodies shake to the music. I'm embarrassed to say it was my first time seeing them, but it won't be my last.
By the time Galactic took the stage at 10:15 PM, the crowd was primed and there was hardly any space on the floor. With an impressive light show accompanying their tunes, the fans were engaged in every song and every note. When the horn section joined in, they served to boost the song's energy and give them that real New Orleans flavor. The biggest highlight of the night (for me) was Maggie Koerner and her intense vocals. When she was brought up onstage to sing, she put everything she could dig in her soul to the songs. Galactic brought out JJ Grey and the Mofro horns to contribute to a few tunes, as well. The majority of the songs performed were new, with a few coming off the albums Ya-Ka-May and Late For The Future. This was the final night of Galactic's extensive East Coast tour and they wrapped it up on a high note.
For me, it was one of the most highly energized shows I've been to this year. From the looks of fans faces as they exited, it was obviously a great show for them as well. For the latest Galactic music, news, and tour dates, check out their Zumic artist page. You can purchase the new Galactic song collaboration with JJ Grey titled "Higher And Higher" over at iTunes or listen to it on the Galactic's official website. You can purchase new album This River from JJ Grey & Mofro by visiting their official website.
