Bands bring laid-back beats to small crowd
The “Famously Hot” city received some “Hot Cookin’” when artists G. Love & Special Sauce and The Movement brought their laid-back beats to the S.C. State Fair Wednesday for a small crowd.
Despite not being able to fill the whole floor section, both bands delivered for their loyal fans. The show marked the opening of the annual fair, kicking off almost two weeks of performances on the featured Pepsi Grandstand.
Reggae, rock and hip-hop fusion band The Movement opened for G. Love, mostly playing new songs from their soon-to-be released album “One More Night.”
The quartet features Columbia-native Jordan Miller on guitar and vocals, keyboardist John Bowling, bassist Jay Schmidt and drummer Gary Jackson. The new songs have a familiar free-flowing sound with an especially organic undercurrent.
“It’s a little bit of country, reggae, rock and hip-hop all intertwined,” Schmidt said.
Although he didn’t join the band until it relocated to Philadelphia, Schmidt said he loves being down South.
“I feel like Columbia is my hometown because we get the most love here,” said Schmidt, who wore a Gamecocks football jersey during the show.
Next up was G. Love & Special Sauce, who injected some energy into the chilled-out crowd.
G. Love was also promoting a new album Wednesday night, making Columbia a stop on his “Fixin’ To Die” fall tour. But to begin the set, the band played crowd favorites “Hot Cookin,’” “Who’s Got the Weed?” and “Booty Call,” which had audience members clapping and singing along.
The trio from Philadelphia is known for its mix of alternative blues and hip-hop, with Mark Boyce on keyboard, Timo Shanko on bass, Jeffrey Clemens on drums and G. Love — aka Garrett Dutton — a triple-threat on vocals, guitar and harmonica.
Dutton played some impressive guitar-harmonica solos, adding a bluegrass twang that will be found throughout the new album.
It’s no wonder; Scott and Seth Avett of the Avett Brothers, a popular folk rock band, produced the full-length. The Avetts were influential in the new down-to-earth jams and can be heard on backing vocals, banjo, guitar and tambourine in many of the songs.
“It’s [a] return to roots music,” Dutton said of the new CD. “It’s a second chance at a first album.”