The New Music

With a 56 year-old soul veteran Black Wolf as their lead singer, Kings Go Forth definitely isn’t a Jonas Brothers-esque group. But last Friday at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, they demanded the audience’s attention like it. Black Wolf, clad in a patterned vibrant two piece jumpsuit with a deep, deep, deep V neck fell to his knees like in spiritual meditation and then lurched forward to be among the crowd as they got low.

Kings Go Forth play music to be listened with Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings and James Brown. Their throwback funk soul sound features layers of instruments to build a wall of sound that controls the audience like dancing puppets. Their song “One Day” is fit for a 1970’s car chase featuring Starsky and Hutch or a 2010 car chase featuring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl… maybe. The 10 member funk collective from Milwaukee have been slowly joining the soul revival after releasing a variety of singles since 2007. Their first album, The Outsiders Are Back was released by Luaka Bop on April 20 and the buzz has been enough to bring a solid crowd out on a Toronto Friday night.

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