By Phillip Smith; Feb 6, 2016
It doesn’t get much better
than witnessing a live performance of Sonny
Knight and the Lakers. This seven
piece ensemble, from Minneapolis, doled out four astonishing sets of hot rhythm and blues at the Campbell Steele Gallery in Marion,
Iowa. The Lakers warmed up the audience with an instrumental set before Sonny took the stage and broke out the
funk with “Caveman”. There was so much
energy flowing through the musicians, it was electric, to say the least. Eric
Foss, the drummer and co-founder of the band was on fire, giving a stellar
performance on “Boogaloo”. I
couldn’t help but think of the late great Otis
Redding when Sonny soulfully sang
“When You’re Gone”. This was a beautiful
performance indeed. I loved their cover
of the Beatles’ “Day Tripper”. It
was so full of life. Other stand-out
songs included “Juicy Lucy”, “Sugarman”, and “Sock A Poo Poo”, each of which put
a big smile on my face as well. I am
totally on-board with Sonny Knight and the
Lakers, and anxiously await the next time they swing by this neck of the woods.
* All Photos by Phillip Smith
