Get Down, Get Hard Proof Funky
Credit: Bert McLendon photographyA band like Hard Proof Afrobeat continuously blows me away. I’ve seen them in just about every sort of venue imaginable, from the larger places they seem to take over with their mammoth sound, to the tiniest of stages where the nine-piece band is crammed rather tightly without much moving space but rocking the room just as hard. No matter what size the area is, their performances are always golden.
They’re one of the few groups in Texas that plays African funk – arguably one of the only bands in Texas to do so, with a well-executed hybrid of funk and jazz inspired by the sounds out of sub-Saharan Africa, and rhythmic drumming originating from Southern Nigeria. Every element they incorporate, from the multiple horns, melodies and rhythms to the percussion, borrows a lot from the style of Afrobeat pioneer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti.
Don’t miss out on Hard Proof’s next performance tonight at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. They play at midnight – and it’s worth staying up late for. Catch songwriter Mike Barfield before then at 10 p.m. And don’t leave the dancing shoes at home. Recommended.
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