Funky town
Cool grooves now soundtrack Tuesday nights on Marshall Street, from a trio who plans to jump into the music industry right here in Syracuse.
Sophistafunk, a hip hop and funk fusion group, is just beginning its sonic story. Members played every Tuesday night at Funk ‘n Waffles this September, gaining notoriety with students and locals alike.
Planning on continuing the schedule through October, Sophistafunk aims to establish its fan base right in their very own neighborhood.
‘We know our potential get out there, this is the real deal,’ said lyricist and MC Jack Brown. ‘We’re so excited about that, to have such a powerful weapon in our hands, and we’re trying to figure out exactly the best way to get it.’
With Funk ‘n Waffles owner Adam Gold on keys, bass and vocals, Brown as lyricist and MC and Emanuel Washington on drums, the band has only officially been together since September 2007. But it has already played more than 100 shows, Brown said. Both Gold and Brown are SU alumnus, from 2006 and 2007 respectively.
The group was recently offered a contract with Marshall Street Records, with hopes to record and release an EP or CD. But the live shows, said Brown, help to get the band’s name out and skyrocket it to an even greater community.
Sophistafunk managed to reach a wide audience at their shows throughout central New York and New York City – with college age students, older generations and families. There’s something in its sound for a variety of audiences, Brown said.
‘The main theme to all this is we’re doing something totally different and outside the box,’ he said. ‘You’re gonna be feeling funk, reggae, hip hop, dance music – it’s all mixed in there. It’s a modern style, but it’s also got an old-school feel to it.’
Washington and Gold are a unique and flavorful rhythm section. The sound is a layered landscape; somehow, the group sounds bigger than just a drummer, a keyboard player and an MC. With Gold bringing soulful wails in vocal melodies throughout verses and choruses, the group cleverly blurs the line between jam band and spoken word artistry.
‘It’s like our sound is like a jazz club from the 50s mixed with a poetry reading in the 60s, mixed with a funk party in the 70s and a hip hop show in 80s,’ Brown said.
As an MC, Brown’s delivery is natural and smooth, with fast rhymes and sing-along style hooks. His lyrics are hard-hitting, forcing his audience to delve into mental issues far more sophisticated than what might be heard in similar funk sounds.
Addressing issues of politics, social stigmas, personal ambition and personal demons, Brown channels a myriad of his beliefs and philosophies into the group’s performance.
‘Musicians really respond to our music,’ Brown said. ‘There are people who come out for what I have to say, or people who love what Adam does, or people who come out just to see E(manuel) because they think he’s good. It all brings people together.’
In the intimate space of Funk ‘n Waffles, the band’s performance is interactive. Brown locks eye contact with audience members, and Gold smiles and smirks at every tonal change. With the up-close-and-personal setting, audience members nod their heads in agreement with the band’s messages.
‘I’m tired of trying to be like everybody else/It’s hard enough just to be myself,’ sang Brown in the song ‘Hard Enough.’ He said he knows that it’s a feeling anyone can relate to.
But despite its own tight style, the group maintains an open door, revolving policy with its live sets. Tuesday night’s show, for example, featured Washington playing with local Syracuse musicians Max McKee playing bass, Adam Fisher on guitar and Evan Knight on saxophone, with Brown taking the mic and laying down lyrics over the developed, all-out jam session.
‘There’s so much space, and can do so much with just me and Adam laying down a groove, ‘ Washington said. ‘We want people to fill that space, and most of the time it’s with great musicians like Evan Knight. There’s tons of great musicians here, and I want people to know about us.’
Liz Grobe, a junior policy studies major, has seen Sophistafunk perform in Syracuse and in larger New York City venues. She credits the band’s ability to reach many audiences to its likeable, varied sound.
‘They bring something for everyone. If you enjoy pop music, there’s a pop aspect; if you enjoy hip hop, there’s a hip hop aspect,’ she said. ‘Anyone can go and see them, whether you appreciate music or not. You sit down and you’re going to listen, you’re going to love them.’
Published on September 30, 2008 at 12:00 pm
