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By and large, “jam bands” can be pretty polarizing for your casual concertgoer, unprepared for the potential of multi-hour long sets and extended live improvisation sections within the grooves. But rebuking the sunken-eyed, smoke-filled character of The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Dave Matthews, or even Phish, Austin’s Flyjack has maintained a character of calculated, stimulating soul-funk. Formed in 2008 between bassist Brad Bradburn and guitarist Buck McKinney after a successful stint in alt-jazz outfit Gnappy, the now-nine-piece has proven time and time again just how hard they can get a crowd funked up, be it onstage to a packed house or just for one person absolutely losing their mind while dancing at home.
Across their career Flyjack’s performed alongside Brownout, Widespread Panic, Marc Broussard, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Jurassic 5’s DJ Numark and at the very start of 2020 they dropped their fourth record Soul Catcher, featuring just as many originals as it does members and topped with two covers of rare-groove classics. And while the Flyjack family can’t hardly jam out in person without violating social distancing orders nowadays, Soul Catcher was just nominated for best album in the funk/fusion/jam category of the 18th Annual International Music Awards. The IMAs will take place digitally on June 27th, and you can wiggle through Wednesday with one of the snappiest tracks on Soul Catcher, “Phrygian Phunk”!
–Photo: Luis Nieves
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