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Live and Otherwise: Nobody Gets Out Without Singing the Blues

Black Carl performing at the Crescent Ballroom on Friday. Photo by the author, Gabby Marshall.
Black Carl performing at the Crescent Ballroom on Friday. Photo by the author, Gabby Marshall.

The rhythm and soul: Not only are these the lyrics/title to a terrific Spoon song, they are also the key elements for a blues-infused ensemble to succeed. If a group doesn’t have that distinct swagger that produces satin-smooth grooves, there’s no reason for them to be included in any soulful sphere of sound. Luckily Tempe’s Black Carl never runs into this issue. With lead singer Emma Pew belting the notes out like a tougher (and way cooler) version of Joss Stone, and hitting these incredible notes that drench the crowd in her impassioned singing and grooving, the band definitely has soul.

Having only heard good things about the group from a friend, I was excited to find myself amid the packed house at their Crescent Ballroom performance last Friday.  Starting off strong with stand out tracks including “Shine it Deep” and incorporating tunes like “Hussy”  and the simply fantastic “The Wolf” with all the soul and funk they could muster, there was some seriously hip-shaking to the beat happening. The heavy dose of blues was a trip back in time to the great soul music of time past, with some very explicit blues influences in the notes played. The instrumentation was on point, and there was scarcely a soul not dancing. You know when a band gets a group of grumpy-looking hipsters to dance that their magic is simply undeniable. It’s especially endearing that they are a Tempe-based band, yet another example of the thriving local scene that’s right underneath our noses.

With a full release and an EP that you can purchase at their website or download from Bandcamp, there’s plenty of tracks to “Get Up” and dance to.   Black Carl routinely performs around the valley, having graced the stages of venues including the Rogue Bar and Sail Inn. Slated to play at Crescent in early March, there is ample opportunity to groove out to the salient blues that Black Carl produces so eloquently. For more information check out their website.


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