The Groove Syndicate
Breathing life back into SoCal
**previously posted on jambase.com
After a sparkling appearance at the Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest, The Groove Syndicate headed back to their home base The Sandpiper, for their weekly funk em up mayhem. Things seemed relatively quiet this particular Tuesday night as barflies and hippies alike joined in the confined space that is known as “the dirty bird.” Tucked into a corner along P.C.H., The Sandpiper seeps a cabin like vibe, one that feels warm and welcome to any straggler off the street looking to shake things up a bit.
Taking to the stage shortly after 10PM, G S wasted no time in getting down right dirty in the funk. Randy Norborikawa showcased his keys with his left hand smacking to a magnificent degree, the best way to describe his sound is cartoon circus midgets jumping on trampolines. Each finger propelling flailing bodies all about leaving them stranded in his wake. The rock solid Rhythm section was bringing their A game all night, thanks to Justin Knox (The Motet) on bass, and the always impressive Nikki Carano on drums. Her beats on the kit were wound tightly to just the right degree, she seemed as though someone had wound her up and set her on stage and let loose. The man on the axe is none other then her brother David Carano ( Robert Walters 20th Congress). It seemed as though he was negotiating with his guitar, squeezing out all the last drops until it was just him, speaking another language through his instrument. Dodging and falling back into the pockets at all the right times, it is no doubt that David was in the zone. With the musical story line set, G S once again dropped down on all with the last layer to take it to eleven. The vocal stylings of Miss Natalie Martin
Natalie represents everything that is soul, passion and the good kind of anguish. Her pipes are unparallel to anything I have ever heard in just another bar on a Tuesday night. The great thing about her is that she is not just delivering the lyrics, in an essence, it is the quite the opposite. Channeling the groove from the feet of those dancing, across the floor and up through her feet all the way out of her mouth, she is in tune with that place which not too many people really go to. She just Breathes music. Her anguish is a kind of “good hurt’ if you will. Her body is her instrument and she exhausts all facets with extreme conviction, leaving no one wondering if she at all “feels” it. Short of accosting her microphone stand, proving that the tambourine is back in a major way and eye contact with all in front of her, she created a feeling of comfort and home. Every one of the members adds in the perfect touch to what makes The Groove Syndicate a great band, but it is the sweet sultry voice of Natalie that echoes in your heart as you sway along with the funk train that is moving along.
With a lengthy first set which included a few choice covers including “Naïve Melody” by the Talking Heads. G S weaved back and forth from the funk to the eighties and just as the sweat began to drip, brought it down with some good old jazz that could bring on a single tear and goose bumps from Natalie’s voice. The crowd slowly grew and more and more people ventured onto the dance floor as shiny sounds intoxicated and weaned out the inner dance animal in all in attendance. Second set kicked off with David singing his original “Kickstand.” With an overflowing bluegrass picking, David nailed it to the wall and got that extra spring into everyone’s step, throwing a whole new genre into the mix. It felt like a time travel that brought out the funksters from the eighties and hyped them up on shit and left them on the privy somewhere out in the open range. In a sea of smiles and 4 dollar draft beer, bubblefunk dripped out of every crevice in the joint, and if you weren’t watching out, it would bite you in the ass. I witnessed this several times, and must admit, I developed a Grinch like smile as more and more crawled there way to the floor to fight for the dance space needed when one looks to funk correctly.
The night ended just shy of 2:00AM with a hilarious and right on take on Outkast’s “Hey Ya” Once again; Natalie’s voice hit it perfect and the jumping beat was only that much more enjoyable to see the gigantor smiles on the bands face. Nikki was grinning ear to ear while she kept down the beat and made her connections with the intimate crowd. Justin laid low in the corner giving the back bone to the sound on his bass, letting up just a bit here and there with an extra smack that reminded everyone that the night was not over yet. David zoned in and took a nice groove jazz solo that proved to resonate in everyone’s mind as they left, and Randy on the keys… what can I say. He is a kid in a candy store, testing everything he can get his hands on. To say his playing is sick is an extreme understatement. He is a scientist back behind those keys, and he makes their funk bubble. Randy was Best in Show tonight, that much I am sure of. With crafty lyrics, impeccable delivery and just down right craft and ownership on their instruments, The Groove Syndicate killed it last night, and the best part is they are there every Tuesday, every week. It’s about damn time that SoCal gets a scene, and that scene belongs to the Groove Syndicate. For more information on The Groove Syndicate, visit their website at www.thegroovesyndicate.com