By: Taylor Pierce
Photos by: Shawn Caves
Last week, I grabbed some good friends and took a road trip to Columbus, Ohio to see Booty&theKidd accompanied by two other local artists perform live at Kafe Kerouac. The eight-piece jazz/hip-hop band drew a large crowd to the quaint venue to celebrate the release of their EP, Victoria’s Living Room. This is the first project the full band has released together, with additional songs being coming later this year.
Prior to the big event starting, all the members from Booty&theKidd showed up at the venue to deck the place out in colorful tapestries, balloons and bubble machines to create the perfect playful and energetic atmosphere.It really warmed my heart to see a band put this much time and energy into creating the perfect vibe to showcase their latest project in.
Every member of the band greeted me individually and was beyond kind making me feel like we were all close friends. All of them thanked me for being there multiple times and expressed their gratitude for my support in their music. I could tell that this performance was about to be epic and filled with passion.
Miir
To get the night started, Miir opened the show to a packed audience. Delivering smooth vocals backed by soulful instrumentation, her performance reminded me of an awesome combination of Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys. The girl’s got pipes and knows how to get the attention of the audience. I fell into a peaceful trance during her short setlist and immediately downloaded her Reminiscent Vibes project when I got home.
Joey Aich
Joey Aich followed Miir’s soulful performance with an impressive set list packed with powerful rap lyrics and a lot of emotion. Aich has a feel-good infectious vibe about him that just makes you want to listen to every word he sings. During his short set, Aich demonstrated some serious lyrical skills that were full of passion. The setlist showcased his raw potential and love for music and left me ultimately wanting to hear more from him. Aich really knows how to deliver a good set and engage the crowd with his music.
Booty&theKidd
Around 11:00 pm Booty&theKidd took the stage with their eight-piece band, a plethora of instruments, some really dope tapestries and one giant ampersand hanging behind them. Founding members Tyler Butts (Booty) and Nick Reinmann (the Kidd) were center stage as the band started their first song, ‘Futurama’ off their full length 2016 album, The Heart of It All. Butts and Reinmann took turns belting out passionate lyrics while the rest of the band accompanied with some sick instrumentals.
Lee Tucker provided some soulful trumpet to add to the overall groove of the show, while keyboardist John Neumeier played melodic piano sequences to create an overall vibrant sound. Adding to this impressive jazz-rap vibe was Harry Paul on guitar and Rich Wesner playing bass. In addition, Brain Rhodus killed the drums and Nick Vermilye played the saxophone like an absolute professional. All together, the ensemble played in perfect harmony creating an energetic sound unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. I was quite impressed to see how well all of these different components came together to create such a cohesive melody.
During their setlist, Booty&theKidd was joined on stage by Christina Vento, who delivered some beautiful backup vocals so silky they reminded me of Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die album. Vento appears on a few of the tracks on Victoria’s Living Room, and really adds elegance to the already blissful sound of Booty&theKidd.
A highlight of this show was when the band played ‘The Road,’ a new track off the upcoming EP ‘Victoria’s Living Room’ towards the end of their set. This song seemed to be extra emotional for Booty&theKidd, with Butts nearly screaming all of his verses. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen that much passion come from a performer but I was very into it. It made me believe every lyric he said. Reinmann showed just as much passion as joined in singing the chorus in perfect harmony accompanied by a beautiful brass section.
Proving yet again they are a very unique musical act, Booty&theKidd busted out some old school Fergie and covered ‘Glamorous’ in an effortlessly cool way to end their set. With Vento singing some mesmerizing vocals combined with the powerful rap stylings of Booty&theKidd, this cover was a pleasant surprise for everyone in the crowd.
Everyone left the show in high spirits and there was nothing but good vibes all around after hearing some of Booty&theKidd’s latest EP. It was one of those nights where you leave the venue feeling completely carefree and as though nothing can bring you down. Thank you, Booty&theKidd for the good time, great music and free tee shirt.