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Student demonstrators in the rainy weather protesting outside of Coffman Memorial Union on Tuesday.
Photos from April 23 protests
Published April 23, 2024

Review: JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound with Escort

Remember how I asked you if you wanted to funk? If you were at the Triple Rock on Sunday night, there’s no debating what your answer was.

When I first arrived, the frizzy-haired, shotgun blast of a vocalist Adeline Michèle was walking onstage to front her band Escort. The crowd was spotty at this point, but they didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they were all smiles as Escort began to lay down some thick-bassed, ‘70s style funk. It was as if all the heads in the club turned when their set popped off. I walked down into the pit and watched them deliver luxurious grooves and participated in an ever-expanding dance pit. Seriously, the boogie was real. Photo evidence courtesy of their Facebook page (I’m the pit-stained one waving at the camera):

Their set met expectations for loud and technically tight dance music. When the skill of the musicians coincided with Michèle’s powerhouse vocals and charm, Escort transformed the room into an undulating disco ball. I almost felt like I should’ve sported bell bottoms, but it was clear that all Escort cared about was that the crowd got down.

After they left the stage, the audience was anxious for JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound to make their appearance. Once they did, however, the energy deadened for the first two songs. There were two solid rows of dancing patrons, but the rest of the Triple Rock almost seemed bored. Then this bad boy hit. Brooks busted out some impressive dance moves. His limbs flew around the stage with grace and energy, and he did some classic call-and-response antics. He won over the crowd and the Uptown Sound delivered a phenomenal set, a varied collection of foot thumpers like their cover of “No Diggity” and ballads that showed off Brooks’ silky smooth vocals.

Even though the night had its missteps (the Uptown Sound’s guitars were two cents flat for their new single "Rouse Yourself"), there was no shortage of footwork or joy at the Triple Rock.

Grade: A-

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