Groove Is In The Heart

A reasonably full crowd was out at The Baby G on a Thursday night. Opener Slo Pitch Sounds was a turn-tablist who occasionally did scratching, but primarily built luxuriant soundscapes from samples. Now and then he was joined on stage by a pop-and-locker for some choreography.

The feel-good vibe kept going with Isla Craig. It's been a while since I've heard this singer live. Her and her full band continues to refine Craig's combination of slightly 60s hippie lyrics/feel with a pulsing groove. You wouldn't dance to it, but there's a lot of head nods and body sways. I'm still waiting for that album drop she's been promising for quite some time.

The night ended with the warm blanket that is a typical Luka's set. On his 3rd album, this crooner expanded his repertoire of (almost too) earnest love songs. Surprisingly there were 2 numbers where his band, especially drummer Evan Cartwright, let loose with some rocking improv. But for Luka, it was usually about groovy numbers full of harmony and build like Love is The Eternal Weight and My Heart Is Full. These are songs you play to try and win over that special someone.