You know how it is with some bands. You listen to a few of their songs and they’re good and all, but you’re not sure what all the fuss is about. Then you catch said band live and—BAM—you totally get why they sent the hype machine into overdrive. That happened to me with the Black Tones, the Seattle-based duo of twins Eva and Cedric Walker.
The Black Tones’ 2018 Capitol Hill Block Party set was the kick in the ear required to understand the furor they’d been creating. Playing as a trio at Barboza, they injected classic rock, blues, and funk with extraordinary energy and personality while maximizing excitement in their dynamics. Their songs aren’t innovative, but in that room, they wowed the crowd thanks to the Walkers’ natural exuberance and ingenuity within familiar genre moves. That they’re making great music in a guitar-heavy rock style not typically associated with African American performers—even in 2019—adds another frisson to the Black Tones experience.
