The Night That Cured Me—Thundercat Revisited at the Warfield

Walking out of the Warfield covered in sweat and tears, I was fully prepared to cancel all therapy appointments, attack the pile of clothes that had been haunting my bed, and even go as far as to do a morning jog the next day. Although my expectations were high for Channel Tres and Thundercat, to say that they were exceeded would be the understatement of the ages. Like most concerts, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. However, coming to the close of an exceptionally stressful year, there was a sense of yearning: for a pause, an escape, or just some break in the storm.

Channel Tres entered and the pulse of experimental hip house began, warming the crowd up for what was to come. At the point the tension became almost palpable, Channel moved from behind the turntables to greet the audience, introducing a new energy to the music. Never had I seen a performer interact so flawlessly with a crowd. As he began to dance, the seas of people followed along. Completing his set with more popular songs such as “Jet Black” and “Topdown,” he introduced new musical elements to the mix, providing a unique experience for the fans that attended. As far as opening performances go, Channel Tres made his presence as an artist known.

Beginning to feel the great emotional release that came from the previous set, it was almost impossible to wait for the next to start. As the band continued to set up, melodic jazz emanated from the speakers, maintaining the groove that Channel introduced. Similar to Thundercat’s previous performances in the Bay, the first visual shock was his bass guitar—six strings carefully put together, creating such intricate rhythms. Joining him on stage was Justin Brown on the drums and Dennis Hamm on the keys, and together they began performing improv-styled jams of jazz fusion. What could have been an intimidating display of raw talent from Thundercat was transformed into an innocent display of his love for the craft, all due to his charming personality. Long stretches of instrumental were cut with hilarious interjections about anime, and adventures in the mile high club. However, when it came to the music, every note was taken seriously.

Initially caught off guard by how emotional that experience was for me, I began to consider my own strange sense of gratitude for these two performers, and what they are able to do through music. Both obviously have a strong talent for what they do, but more importantly, they feel passionate about the community surrounding it. Rather than just create a song, they create an experience where the people, no matter what they are individually facing, can experience a collective sense of joy and creativity. As someone who needed to feel some of that joy and creativity after a long stretch of negativity—something that I think many others relate to at this moment—I thank them for sharing that with me.

Article and Photos by Lex Andersen