Khruangbin 6/11/24
The 3 piece outfit electrifies a sold out crowd with deep grooves and tight musicianship
Housekeeping
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Now, let’s get going on that something good….Khruangbin!
After a fantastic opening set from John Carroll Kirby, (his flutist was the star of the set) Houston, Texas trio, Khruangbin, took the stage Tuesday night in front of a sold out crowd at Raleigh, NC’s Red Hat Amphitheater.
Not familiar with Khruangbin (pronounced KRUNG-bin)? Check out the wiki here to get up to speed.
The band, consisting of the fabulous Laura Lee Ochoa on bass/vocals, Mark Speers on guitar/vocals and DJ Johnson on drums, keys and vocals, delivered a 2 hour show of intricately woven bass lines with Speer’s fantastic fret work over an underlying deep pocket from Johnson’s superb drumming.
The Relevant Things
Unlike so many musicians that change guitars and basses throughout a show (so the guitars can be tuned by their techs instead of on stage, or to achieve a different sound - i.e. a 12 string guitar or a guitar tuned in a different key) neither Ochoa or Speers switched instruments for the entirety of the show. The guitar and bass they started with was the guitar and bass they ended the night with. That’s rare and this kept the pace flowing with very little downtime between songs.
I believe it was almost 3/4 of the way through the show before Ochoa said “Hello, Raleigh.”. It was refreshing to not have someone from the stage yelling, “Let me see your hands” and constantly hyping the crowd with what I consider “filler” like, “Come on”, “I can’t hear you”, or “How’s everybody feeling out there tonight?”. There was an elegance and professionalism to the show that I don’t see very often.
The band was very deliberate in how they took the stage (see first video) to their movements at exact moments to how they moved around and exited the stage. You can tell the band takes time to plan the show’s visuals, which is great to see a group deliver a product that is so well thought out and detail oriented. I got the feeling that Khruangbin puts as much effort into the show as they do the music. Again, a professionalism thing.
DJ Johnson is probably the most unassuming, laid back drummer I have ever seen. Playing only a bass drum, snare drum, floor tom and a few cymbals, Johnson delivered a flawless performance that was heavy on the notes not played. A refreshing break from the, “play every note you know” drummers that inundate you with drum fill after drum fill after drum fill. Less is much, much more.
The band started the evening all together on the top of the stage (see first video). However as the night progressed Ochoa and Speers moved downstage closer to the crowd leaving Johnson tucked away up top to blend into the background, and it seems that’s the way he likes it. There was so much fog on stage that I could not get a clear picture of him all night.
When Ochoa and Speers moved towards the front of the stage they picked up their mic stands and brought them down the steps in a synchronized motion. No techs ran out to move their stands for them or adjust their mic stands.
Ochoa’s bass lines are funky. Pure and simple, the girl can play!! The notes seem to permeate fully through her entire body like a low tone conduit and if Ochoa’s not having a great time on that stage you sure can’t tell it. I kept wondering if she was wearing a fitness tracker? If so, I’d love to see the total number of calories she’s burning while on stage because she’s constantly in motion! The notes may start from her fingers but they move through her and she becomes a conduit that singularly moved the entire audience. A pleasure to watch such a talented performer.
Speers is a guitar playing machine. Just when I thought he had run out of notes and things to play he brought out another riff or progression that was just as good as the last. There were no weak parts, no filler and the guy is a player’s player that can translate complex guitar parts to the average music fan.
Lastly, I do have to put in my disclaimer that after about the first hour and a half my ears (and attention) were tiring. Although the band is incredibly tight and the music is good, the tempos can be similar and the mellowness of it can get a little monotonous to me.
It’s still worth seeing the band live so if you have the opportunity I highly recommend you go!
John Carroll Kirby joined the band mid-show to assist with some nice keys.