Colorado band The Motet are geared up for this year’s Halloween shows where the band will cover the music of Parliament Funkadelic. The Motet’s holiday shows are wildly popular with their local fans and the Boulder Theater show is already sold out. This Saturday’s show at The Ogden in Denver is also already sold out and it is no wonder with the band staging a 14 member band including vocalist and keyboardist Nigel Hall who only last year performed with The Warren Haynes Band on Halloween in Denver.
We recently caught up with the band at one of their rehearsal studios preparing for the shows. The Motet’s Dave Watts. Joey Porter and Garrett Sayers talk with Times-Call, Prairie Mountain Media reporter Quentin Young before a rehearsal. Band members also videoed Ryan Jalbert, Gabe Mervine, Matt Pitts, Dan Schwindt and Kimberly Dawson Produced by Alan Crandall. For ticket information visit www.themotet.net
Friday night members of the Motet and Big Gigantic assembled and brought their tribute to Herbie Hancock to the Boulder Theater. Band members included, Dominic Lalli, Dave Watts, Joey Porter, Garrett Sayers, Dan Schwindt & Matt Grunstad put on quite the performance. It was great seeing so many people groove to Hancock’s music.
I was estimating maybe 30 to 50 people in the Boulder Theater before the concert began and while listening to
Joey Porter
the DJ Raw Russ lay down some cool hip hop dance mixes. Then, like magic, when the Hancock’s music filled the theater the fan floodgates opened and by the end of the second song the theater was packed with an exuberant audience.
Joey Porter explained to the audience that they wanted to share their love for Hancock’s music. Herbie Hancock, a legendary Jazz man “was one of the first jazz musicians to embrace music synthesizers and funk music (characterized by syncopated drum beats),” according to Wikipedia. This makes his music perfect for the stylings of this tribute band. The band was tight and grooved through long melodic-rhythmic songs keeping the crowd dancing and entertained. If you get a chance to check out this combination of musicians perform a tribute to Herbie Hancock… I recommend it! The Motet will perform this weekend at the LoHi Music Festival in Denver, for more information visit www.themotet.net.
You know those time a friend tells you, “You really should check out this band?” And you
Nigel Hall
go… and have a great time! I get the feeling that Joey Porter’s Shady Business, held at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom last Saturday, was that kind of show. Shady Business is a great band in the one time pairing of the bulk of The Motet with the band Juno What, Nigel Hall and the Shady Horns. Motet keyboardist Joey Porter was celebrating his 40th birthday party and the concert turned into a big funky birthday celebration. Shady Business was a diamond in the rough at a concert that seemed more like a fan-filled party.
Now in my opinion… if you ever hear of JunoWhat! or most of the members of the Motet playing together… or Nigel Hall or the Shady Horns …well actually, if you hear of any of the members of the Motet playing… you need to check it out. It is always a good time.
Joey Porter
After the Monophonics played a great warm up set, Shady Business took the stage with members Nigel Hall, Joey Porter, Dave Watts, Garrett Sayers, Ryan Jalbert, Jans Ingber, Steve Watkins & Kim Dawson and The Shady Horns. The stage was packed with artists with three keyboard setups. “Funk is Dead” Motet vocalist Kimberly Dawson even joined in for a few songs. It was a fantastic show with Porter and Hall trading rifts and keyboards throughout the show and Hall taking lead vocals on songs like “What is Hip”
At Set break the birthday portion of the show kicked into full gear with birthday boy Joey Porter being seated center stage, presented with a cake that looked like a Hammond organ and a big present that was rolled to the front of the stage. Then a beautiful dancing girl (Jacque Porter) dressed in a green burlesque corset and black top hat popped out of the present and offered a grinning Joey a birthday dance, hug and a kiss.
This was a very cool night at Cervantes even the Other Side was hopping with national touring act, The Heavy Pets. I will post some Heavy Pets Photos next, for now check out this cool party and next time a friend says hey some of those Motet guys are performing… go to the show.
Check out this clip half way through “What is Hip” where Garrett Sayers plays a sick solo and lays down the funky bass rifts.
By Alan Crandall, previously published at the DailyCamera.com
The Motet has been raining down the funk for their Colorado fans for over 10 years now and they love performing before Colorado crowds. “Colorado fans are the best,” said Joey Porter the bands keyboardist and funkified vocalist. So it should be no surprise that the band chose Denver’s Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom to kick off the 2012 gigs.
The Motet
Colorado fans are lucky to get first dibs on some funky Motet goodness since the band is packing up and taking their wildly popular FUNK IS DEAD show on the road. The band is currently busy adding east and west coast dates to their upcoming tour.
The Cervantes shows, Jan. 27 and 28th, are both special events with the the band performing FUNK IS DEAD on the first night and the Best of Halloween on night two. I recommend a double dose. There are a limited number 2-day-passes for a special price still available at time the time of this post and it is my bet that these shows will sell out so grab some discounted tickets while you can.
If you have not seen The Motet recently they are on fire. Don’t take my word for it, check out this clip from the Aggie Theater, where the band is joined by percussionist Louis Cato and laying down the funky jams.
