World Party
Nashville Scene
October 26, 2006
There were only about 200 people at the Belcourt last Friday for Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars—a sad turnout, especially for the tour’s first date. But in the great tradition of historic Nashville shows, there’ll be 2,000 claiming they were on hand. Not just because Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith showed up as promised to sit in—although that finally dislodged stubborn asses from their seats—but because the group put on the kind of exultant, energetic and freewheeling world-music performance the city rarely gets. The All Stars showed a refreshing lack of rock-show protocol, with ebullient frontman Reuben Koroma exhorting his bandmates—who all met in refugee camps in Guinea during the tumultuous civil war in their native Sierra Leone—to stretch out on their loping, high-stepping Afro-Caribbean grooves. The longer they played, the hotter they got: by the time Perry plugged in for a sizzling set, dashing off spiky leads steeped in his own band’s snake-hipped blooze, the All Stars were merrily exchanging top-that dance moves and playing with a swiftness and complexity that made speed metal sound snoozy. A climactic impromptu “Get Up, Stand Up,” with Koroma and Tyler scatting back and forth finally roused even a passel of blasé blondes who seemed more interested in their cells than the show. (Kudos to the hula hooper, whose gyrations helped get the crowd on its feet: the band’s energy and cheer obviously surged.) As a bonus, Tyler and Perry hung out afterward in the lobby signing autographs, posing for photos and appearing as the coolest guys on earth to a trio of wide-eyed little kids. Given the turnout, will Nashville ever get an opportunity like this again? Dream on. For exclusive show photos, including those of Steven Tyler, visit nashvillescene.com.
October 26, 2006
There were only about 200 people at the Belcourt last Friday for Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars—a sad turnout, especially for the tour’s first date. But in the great tradition of historic Nashville shows, there’ll be 2,000 claiming they were on hand. Not just because Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith showed up as promised to sit in—although that finally dislodged stubborn asses from their seats—but because the group put on the kind of exultant, energetic and freewheeling world-music performance the city rarely gets. The All Stars showed a refreshing lack of rock-show protocol, with ebullient frontman Reuben Koroma exhorting his bandmates—who all met in refugee camps in Guinea during the tumultuous civil war in their native Sierra Leone—to stretch out on their loping, high-stepping Afro-Caribbean grooves. The longer they played, the hotter they got: by the time Perry plugged in for a sizzling set, dashing off spiky leads steeped in his own band’s snake-hipped blooze, the All Stars were merrily exchanging top-that dance moves and playing with a swiftness and complexity that made speed metal sound snoozy. A climactic impromptu “Get Up, Stand Up,” with Koroma and Tyler scatting back and forth finally roused even a passel of blasé blondes who seemed more interested in their cells than the show. (Kudos to the hula hooper, whose gyrations helped get the crowd on its feet: the band’s energy and cheer obviously surged.) As a bonus, Tyler and Perry hung out afterward in the lobby signing autographs, posing for photos and appearing as the coolest guys on earth to a trio of wide-eyed little kids. Given the turnout, will Nashville ever get an opportunity like this again? Dream on. For exclusive show photos, including those of Steven Tyler, visit nashvillescene.com.
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