Folk On The Edge Braves Weather With Rhythm

In 87° weather, under the scorching afternoon sun, Love n’ Co and The Lost Tribe made the thick, heated air dance with compelling rhythms and infectious energy.

Those concerts were part of Saturday’s edition of the Folk on the Edge series, organized by CT Folk. 

Three bands prepared to bring a range of musical styles outside Bear’s Smokehouse on James Street. Unfortunately, only two performances took place before the incoming summer storm caused the remainder of the event to be postponed. But the two bands that did play didn’t disappoint.

“We want to be a part of the community,” said Lisa Kaston, the former president of the board of CT Folk, which has held an annual festival since 1989. ​“We’ve been very aware of trying to spread the folk gospel… Folk is basically the music of the people.” For this event, the organization branched out to other types of music which could be connected to folk, in the sense that the chosen bands were of the people of Connecticut, for the people of Connecticut.

“There’s so much talent in our immediate music community,” added Nicole Heriot-Mikula, the event director. ​“For Folk on the Edge we wanted to focus on CT based acts that we haven’t booked in the past.” (Out of the three bands, CT Folk had only booked Latin Americana, the canceled act, in the past.)

Love n’ Co, a funk and pop band composed of Lovelind Richards on vocals, Lamar Smith on guitar, Sam Jacobs on keyboard, Row Dasilva on bass, Patricia Saulsbury on drums, and Nino Ciampa on percussion, performed first. The band captivated the audience with their colorful, upbeat music that sought to empower every listener. From the shaded edges of the green space outside Bear’s Smokehouse, the audience danced along, and sound traveled to them as if over water, bright and clear.

“You can do anything if you try, and if it doesn’t work you try again… because you’re worth it,” Richards reminded the crowd. The lyrics of the songs Love n’ Co performed maintained that message of positivity and self love, packed with powerful instructions like ​“Talk that talk, walk that walk,” and affirmations like ​“I’m not your victim, not your prey.” Richards proved a magnetic performer, dancing along with the songs and joyfully interacting with her bandmates. 

Love n’ Co’s final number, ​“Greater,” maintained the positive energy that the band radiated, providing a textbook depiction of a healthy relationship. ​“The love you give makes me greater,” sang Richards, raising a hand to the great blue sky. Love n’ Co had a message to spread, uplifting and fun, and that was pretty great all on its own.

The setting sun stretched shadows over the grass, encouraging the audience to venture closer to the stage for The Lost Tribe, an afro-funk ensemble. Composed of Jocelyn Pleasant (multi-percussion), Dylan McDonnell (flute and saxophone), Matt Belliveau (guitar), Joel Hewitt (bass), and Asaad Jackson, also known as DJ Stealth, as the DJ, The Lost Tribe’s distinguishing feature is that it is lead by its percussionist, Pleasant. This decision means that the band is defined by its tantalizing and propelling beats, putting rhythm at the forefront of the music. The percussion seemed to echo off every wall of Bear’s Smokehouse, sending shockwaves through the crowd until it proved nearly impossible not to clap along.

“We had to take you to Africa, real quick,” said Pleasant, after the last drumbeats of the first number had faded into the air. ​“And we’re on our way back. We have to stop by the islands, it’s pretty hot out here.” The band performed a song about freedom, self-acceptance, and letting go. The gentle and breezy rhythms swept over the crowd like a much-needed breath of cool air.

Next, The Lost Tribe played ​“Vision,” a section of a piece adapted from Pleasant’s doctoral project. Vocalist Ghazi Omair joined them to belt out spoken word, which both complemented and amplified the power of the music. He remained on stage for several other songs, including one that emphasized the power of the rhythms that were so central to The Lost Tribe’s sound. ​“This rhythm has to be unchained, this rhythm has to be spoken,” said Omair. ​“Cultures dance, cultures laugh, cultures cry to this rhythm.”

Omair also performed a freestyle, backed by The Lost Tribe, specially tailored to the event. Of Bear’s Smokehouse, he said, ​“I hope it’s really hot / I hope it’s really filling.” The audience, many of whom had already purchased their dinner from the restaurant and were consuming it on the grass before the stage, cheered and clapped their confirmation.

Just as the final band, Latin Americana, which Heriot-Mikula described as a fusion of Caribbean mountain folk music ​“made up of a group of very respected and seasoned musicians,” were about to play, the storm broke overhead. The winds picked up and rain dashed down in torrents, sending the audience running for the shelter of the restaurant. The remainder of the concert was postponed for another day, but at least the audience could dry off while enjoying a heaping plate of ribs, still nodding along to a slowly fading tune.