Fantastic Negrito turned Mahall’s into a full-on party Friday night, bringing a fiery mix of soul, funk, blues, and rock that had the crowd dancing from the jump.
Held in the smaller concert venue at Mahall’s, the close quarters only added to the energy, giving the night an intimate, anything-can-happen feel where the audience felt part of the show. Crowned in his signature feathered bucket hat, Negrito looked every bit the larger-than-life showman fans have come to expect. Standout moments included “I Hope Somebody’s Loving You” and “Hillbilly Love,” both delivered with grit, swagger, and a whole lot of heart and soul.
What made the set hit even harder was how fully engaged Negrito was with his band. He bounced across the stage to trade moves with bassist Bartosz Niebielecki, leaned shoulder-to-shoulder with keyboardist Bryan C. Simmons as the chords thundered out, locked into the groove with his touring guitarist (Clark Sims was not on this tour), and flashed a grin back at drummer James Small before every sharp turn in the set. It felt less like one man fronting a band and more like five musicians feeding off each other in real time.
Opening the night, Nat Myers won over the crowd with his country-blues twang and dry humor, in support of his album, Yellow Peril. So locked into the performance, Myers seemed genuinely perturbed when told his set was being cut short by 15 minutes, but true to form, he promised to “take my sweet ass time” with the last song and did exactly that.
NAT MYERS
