On a good day in a little corner of West Oakland, over the crow of backyard roosters and the low whoosh of cars passing on Interstate 880, you might hear a little bit of New Orleans heaven. Drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste is laying down that famous second-line beat with a smile on his face and an extra little snap on his rolls. His band, the Meters, one of the most celebrated in the Crescent City's storied musical history, is finally back together.
"God gave us a gift," Modeliste says, "and we should be doing it."
For many hip-hop, funk and rock fans, the reappearance of Modeliste with his original bandmates -- keyboardist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli and bassist George Porter Jr. -- at April's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was a stunning moment.
It was billed as a farewell show. But after their set, Modeliste teased the crowd, saying, "We'll see you again." (They play two dates this weekend at the Fillmore.) As New Orleans tries to recover from Hurricane Katrina, many see the band's return as a sign of hope for the suffering city's cultural revival.
But bringing the beat back wasn't easy.
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3 Comments:
nice nice nice.. i have the audio of that show where they 1st got back together, wish I could've witnessed it.. their upcoming show in NY is like $100+ a pop unfortunately.
gotta respect the meters!!!! the founding fathers!
"STYLUS"
111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco
Saturday, November 19, 2005
STRICTLY IMPROV - STRICTLY DOPE
Stylus highlights the live roots of Hip-Hop and the
future of the funk with a dope band, live painting and
MCs, featuring an all-star lineup. Joining forces with
SFO snowboards, the Stylus crew hosts SFO's Annual
"Pray for Snow" Preseason Celebration.
- BigG on drums (The 808 Band)
- 4OneFunk DJs: Ales, B-Cause on turntables
-Evan Francis on Sax/Flute/Percussion (Space
Heater/Realistic Orchestra)
- David G on guitar (Boogie Shack/Jua)
-DJ's
Satva (I.T.S./Kleome)
A-List (NYC)
Similak Chlyd(Future Primitive)
-With Master of Ceremonies Conceit (Strangeface)
LIVE PAINTING BY BUDER- in honor of SFO's prayer for
snow, Frisco's infamous graffiti king paints a custom
snowboard live, to be auctioned off to support the
starving artist fund.
Info: www.808media.com, stylus@808media.com, (415)
974-1719
"STYLUS"
At 111 Minna Gallery
111 Minna St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 974-1719
www.111minnagallery.com
$5 9-10:30, $10 after
21 w/ ID
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