Please join us Saturday, February 22, 2025 for the Midcity Afrobeat Meltdown at the Broadside! We are throwing a dance party that combines the forces of some of the most compelling and dance floor shaking acts in New Orleans, each of whom owes a healthy dose of direct inspiration from the music of Africa! Whether you’re a fan of the traditional afrobeat music of Nigeria, the Bombara music of Mali or the modern afrobeats sound coming from the continent and driving dancefloors across the globe, this is the show for you! Doors open at 7, tickets are $20. The lineup is:
8:00-9:00 Sam Dickey and Read the Sands
9- 11:00 Gov’t Majik - The Dirty South Afrobeat Arkestra
11pm til late.. Afrobeatnola
About the artists:
Sam Dickey and Read the Sands -
Part electric jazz ensemble, part rock band, and part raucous street party, Sam Dickey and
Read the Sands is a project that draws inspiration from Bambara music of West Africa as
well as Black American musical traditions. The result is a sound that is powerful, spiritual,
and infectious. Started in 2019, the band has developed a reputation around New Orleans
for their engaging live shows. The band members include an array of top-notch New
Orleans musicians, with Sam Dickey on guitar, Shea Pierre on keys, Max Moran on bass,
and Alfred Jordan on drums. As individuals, their credits include performances and
recordings with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly known as Christian Scott), Amadou and
Mariam, Donald Harrison, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Weedie Braimah and the Hands of
Time, Fatoumata Diawara, and Tank and the Bangas. This breadth of musical experience
informs the band’s unique sound and gravity-defying ensemble interplay. With this potent
combination of superb musicianship, far-reaching sonic exploration, and deep folkloric
knowledge, Read the Sands makes music that is truly unlike anything you’ve ever heard
before.
Gov’t Majik - 2025 marks the 20th anniversary for Gov’t Majik! And while we have written a ton of our own music and our inspirations are many, make no mistake about it: we are still THE Dirty South Afrobeat Arkestra. We adopted that moniker in our early years because a good bit of our repertoire was covers of Fela Kuti songs and other afro-funk deep cuts, and we’ve kept that flame deep in our core as we’ve continued to evolve and incorporate other influences. And for this show, in kinship with the other acts and as a direct homage to Fela and his lasting impact on us we intend to directly channel our afrobeat roots. Trust me, you don’t wanna miss this set! Gov’t Majik is a fairly vast collective of musicians and lineups can vary slightly from show to show, but for this event at the Broadside the band will consist of:
Cristen “Ten” Spencer - vocals
Eduardo Tozzatto - keys & vocals
Bru Bruser - bass & vocals
Sam Dickey - guitar
Luke Quaranta - percussion
Peter Varnado - drums
Rex Gregory - tenor sax
Khari Allen Lee - alto sax & vocals
Greg Thomas - alto sax & vocals
Aurelien Barnes - trumpet, vocals & percussion
Ricio Fruge - trumpet
***a special mention has to be given to the presence of the one and only Greg Thomas from P-Funk being with us this night. Greg is a living legend of funk music! He literally took Maceo Parker’s place in P-Funk in 1978 and has been with them to this day. He’s also done extended stints on the road and in the studio with the Gap Band, Chuck Brown’s band, Mtume, Raphael Saadiq, and many, many others. Greg has been making gigs with Gov’t Majik when he’s in Nola for about 10 years now and we always look forward to making some magic happen with this living legend of funk!
Afrobeatnola - this dynamic DJ and entertainer duo of Ojay and Kudjo have been thrilling Frenchmen St audiences for over a year now, packing the house and keeping the party pumping with the latest in afrobeat and afrobeats hits out of Nigeria. Bringing their style and sound to the new music room at the Broadside is a perfect match for this night of dancing!
