North Texas Daily

Kyle Martin | Staff Writer

There’s nothing like the energy and intensity that comes from a Snarky Puppy concert. At their first stop of a projected ten-week tour at the overloaded Prophet Bar in Deep Ellum, the band left fans bouncing off the walls in complete musical satisfaction.

Before the show, a line of people wrapped around the block and touched the opposite side of the venue, The Door, while UNT shirts were scattered throughout the crowd. The band has roots in the Denton area, as many members attended UNT before winning a Grammy in 2014.

Snarky Puppy bassist Michael League performs a solo at the Prophet Bar in Dallas. Matthew Brown | Staff Photographer

In hopes of getting the crowd inside at a reasonable time, staff was forced to split the line in two. Still, the crowd was filing in the door long after the preceding band, Foe Destroyer, had finished their opening set.

From the moment the band materialized onstage, the crowd was hypnotized.

Snarky Puppy is primarily an instrumental jazz group. One of their albums, Family Dinner – Volume 1, features guest vocalists Lalah Hathaway, Shayna Steele, Magda Giannikou and many others. But they are otherwise heavily instrumental.

The audience in attendance all but remained silent during the show. Nearly everyone hummed, sang or clapped along with every tune. Most people knew exactly what they were there to see.

The band played through original classics such as Thing of Gold, Binky and Whitecap, as well as some of their more recent releases such as Shofukan, What About Me?, Tio Macaco and Lingus.

Because the band members are usually scattered throughout the United States, they are hard-pressed to find a time to rehearse. But when Snarky Puppy takes the stage, their level of musicianship is unmatched.

One of the biggest highlights of the night happened as they played their song Binky. In the middle of the set, the band broke into their rendition of Parliament’s Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker), which captivated and electrified participating audience members.

NPR was on the scene shooting a video project called Jazz Night in America, for which Snarky Puppy will be featured as one of America’s beguiling “bands to see.” They are projected to be featured on the second season of the show next year.

For the upcoming tour, Snarky Puppy is making stops in Austin, New Orleans, Boston and several other places. They are planning to drop their new album in January 2016.

The next time Snarky Puppy will be stopping in the D-FW area is unknown, but next time they are only a kick and a scratch away, get to that show.

Featured Image: Michael League, left, and Bob Lanzetti, right, play at the Prophet Bar Friday night. Matthew Brown | Staff Photographer