Upcoming: BRC Native Sundays continues June 7 w/ Earl Greyhound!

The Greyhound gang returns to conjure up the funk.

Last time I saw Earl Greyhound (and, in fact, the first), it was a great experience. So I'm sure they'll tear it up again on June 7.

Never seen Simi, but I know she's from the band Sufrajett, who was on the BRC's Rock n Roll Reparations vol 1 compilation.

I DID finally get to see Sweetie last night at the Afro-punk showcase. I met Ife and Ness right after. Nes is a real burner on guitar. And Ife's got great pipes. What I hope is that she gains the confidence as a performer to really step out there and own the stage. Much of the show she hung back with Tecla and Nes. Understandable when she was handling low-end duties, but not if she's set the bass aside. When she can bring it like they all did on the last track of the night, this band will be outta here.

But this is part of the pleasure of live music. It's not just seeing a great show, but in watching a band you've followed go through the maturation process. This was clearly in effect at the kickoff event for the BRC series. As many of you know, I've kept up with The Smyrk since I saw them at the Brooklyn Best Festival in 2007. But before last month, I'd never seen them so ferocious and intense in their approach to their music. It was exhilarating to see a band getting razor sharp.

The Smyrk's Doron Flake

Another pleasant surprise was discovering the music of Le Grand Baton, led by Mbutu on guitar. The brotha's from Guadeloupe and his band fuses his island's Gwo ka music thru a rock prism. Sung mostly in Creole, it all makes for a heady, rhythmic mix. I recall his take on Jimi's "Voodoo Chile" done with African rhythms, which shows that it's all connected.

Grand Baton's Mbutu (l) and Obanilu Allende