North Texas Daily

Saturday evening, Lee Fields and the Expressions took the UNT Stage for the final day of Oaktopia. The group, a soul and rhythm band from Brooklyn, New York, is inspired by the funk and blues of the 60s. Their performance showed exactly that. Lee Fields and the Expressions shared their soul and swagger with the Denton music scene.

Fields is a singer from North Carolina and the Expressions are his entourage, including a guitarist, bassist, saxophone player, trumpet player, pianist and drummer. Their performance kept the crowd interested and enthused.

“He killed it,” said Oaktopia attendee Greyson Morgan. “He brought high energy and changed up the vibe.”

For a man in his 50s, Fields was spinning and jiving to keep the momentum of the show going. According to Hero Major, an Oaktopia attendee who was a part of the energized crowd, said no one in Fields’ audience was static.

“I liked his interaction with the crowd,” Major said. “Everyone was dancing. Nobody could stand still.”

The crowd danced and sang along to the hypnotizing melodies. Everyone was engaged by the soul music grooving through the air. The audience members were excited to get a taste of something different from what they had been listening to previously at the festival.

Lee Fields and the Expressions brought a different sound to Oaktopia Fest. They offered a unique flavor to the music scene, connecting the audience to a genre out of their time and experience. Lee Fields and his love for early rhythm and blues diversified a festival that mostly featured local talent and alternative bands. Fields has a sound similar to that of James Brown, an artist way before the young audience’s time. Brown’s sound was preserved through Fields and could be appreciated by audiences of today. Fields could connect the audience with an authentic experience of the culture surrounding soul and funk.

During the show, singer Lee Fields kept engaging with the crowd. At first, he commented on how attractive the crowd was and would encourage the audience to clap along to his music. During a few of his songs, he even held out the microphone so the crowd could sing along with him. He continued to make positive comments to the crowd that kept them pleased and interested. His kind smile hung over the audience between each song as they cheered him on.

“Denton has the most beautiful crowd I have ever seen,” Field said between songs.

Lee Fields and the Expressions put on a memorable show. From the classy suits of his entourage to Fields’s groovy dance moves, they provided a show that gave Oaktopia Fest something to be excited about. The audience members were kept engaged until the moments after Fields waved off of the stage. Everyone seemed pleased about the energy of the show.

Featured Image: Lee Fields & The Expressions play a set during Oaktopia Fest 2016. Katie Jenkins