Making James Brown Proud

continued

Still, it wasn't until Sean Ike joined the band on stage that things really got cooking. The Third Coast Kings and the singer fed off each other to devastating effect, and the energy in the venue, already high, notched higher. Ike barked out lyrics with a confidence and purpose that would've made James Brown proud, all the while sliding around the stage, shaking a tail feather, and inciting the dancers into a greater frenzy. Quickly working up a sweat, he lost his sports coat after the first song. Especially mem<><>rable were a great soul-tinged version of Steely Dan's "Do it Again" and the obscure Caribbean funk band St. Vincent's Latinaires' "I'm Comin'," itself a reworking of James Brown's "Hot Pants."

The pace never wavered, the horns were a constant, the funky beats kept the audience moving, and this reviewer thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The Third Coast Kings are a fun, energetic band, even more so with Ike as their front man. Hopefully, that partnership will continue to grow and flourish, for the band is tight, and Ike's a terrific singer and true showman.

The Third Coast Kings are at Goodnite Gracie on Saturday, November 20.   

[Originally published in November, 2010.]