New Orleans group Tank and the Bangas will absolutely blow your mind live. What they bang is an animated mix of gospel, soul, funk, rock, hip-hop, and spoken word that will have you dancing, actually participating in call-and-response crowd work, and maybe even hollering âamen!â In 2017 the group played a set at Pickathonâs scenic Treeline Stage, and I couldnât decide if it felt more like the best outdoor party Iâve ever been to or a church-like revival.
I was particularly taken with lead vocalist/songwriter Tarriona âTankâ Ballâs insanely versatile voice and her completely uninhibited stage presence. In terms of ability, Tankâs the next Lauryn Hill. Armed with a spoken-word background, sheâs able to switch from perfectly delivering storytelling rhymes to grabbing you by the heartstrings as she transitions to wailing and adlibbing her way through the rest of the song. With Tank already being a... well, tank of a frontwoman, the band fleshes out her spoken word and singing by 1000 percent.
I recently spoke with keyboardist Merell Burkett, who tells me his range of musical influences include Jay Z and Lil Wayne for hip-hop, with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock on the jazz side of things. He also draws inspiration from gospel artists like Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams.
In addition to Burkett, thereâs also Norman Spence (synth, keys, bass), Joshua Johnson (drums), and Albert Allenback (alto saxophone, flute). When the group performs, the lineup often includes Anjelika âJellyâ Joseph, who provides vocal support and beautifully sings in adlib responses to complement Tankâs larger-than-life lead presence. The resulting back-and-forth improvisation is quite entertainingâthe two were dubbed a â21st-century Run-DMC with funkâ by Okayplayer. But for some reason, Jelly Joseph doesnât appear in the press materials as an official band member, and is rarely pictured with Tank and the otherwise all-male group. Iâm postponing being completely devastated about her absence because Burkett tells me that Jelly will be present for their show in Portland.
I suppose the only reason the group hasnât blown up into the mainstream yet must be because they havenât made an album since 2013. But many are still devouring their 2017 single âQuick,â which also has a killer video. A performance of the song won them NPRâs Tiny Desk Contest, which Burkett says is probably their biggest breakout moment to date.
Still donât believe theyâre all that good? Search for âTank and the Bangas Paste Studiosâ on YouTube. Or, really, any of their live performances. Better yet, score tickets to their show at the Roseland, where the five-piece is co-headlining with fellow New Orleans native Big Freedia.
âThe energy that Freedia brings is really, really, really, really up there,â Burkett says. âWe gonâ try to match that. Weâve done a show with Freedia before and it was so much fun.â
After signing to the Verve Forecast label back in March, Tank and the Bangasâ next album is due in 2019. While the group continues to work on their follow-up to 2013âs Thinktank, they did recently drop a single, âSpaceships,â that takes their dreamy/animated/hip-hop party vibes to the next level, but at its core contains the same magical funkiness thatâs infused in all of Tank and the Bangasâ songs. The new song sees them taking over Hankâs Market in New Orleans, daydreaming about wealth, embezzlement, and fame, and considering other questionable cash-grabs while working at their âday jobs.â
Burkett says the group has another new single and video on the way, and that the band will definitely be playing some new tunes on this âHead Banga Tour.â