The Wooten Brothers
Victor Wooten, known for his solo work as well as his time spent with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, is considered by many to be one of the best bass guitarists in the world. Earlier this year, Wooten began touring with his brothers, Joseph, Regi and Roy (a.k.a. Futureman), as part of a funk-forward family band. This return to his roots was a welcome one—not only to the band members, but to fans, as well.
The Larry Mitchell Band, which opened the Wooten Brothers’ Georgia Theatre show Friday, is a groovy instrumental rock act consisting of guitarist Larry Mitchell, drummer Russ Garner and bassist Austin Solomon. The trio thrilled the audience as they played tunes, including “Pony Ride,” that were very easy to groove and dance to.
At various points, Mitchell would interact with the audience by describing the story behind a particular song, or even climbing down from the stage into the audience as he played a guitar solo. The band provided a very inviting and welcoming atmosphere, and left the stage to a loud and approving applause.
The Wooten Brothers took the stage at 10:15 p.m., as each member was introduced by keyboardist and vocalist Joseph Wooten. They went on to give a high-energy performance, starting almost every song with its backstory as told by various members of the band. The audience danced while the Brothers jammed on stage, and stood in awe as they displayed incredible virtuosity on each of their respective instruments.
The performance lasted an hour and a half; once the band left the stage, the audience began to chant: “Wooten! Wooten!” Soon, the group came back out for an encore set that lasted half an hour. With the friendly conversation and banter in between jams, and the high-level interaction with the audience (including staying afterward to sign merchandise), the Wooten Brothers provided an easy, funky atmosphere. The audience left knowing them as not only highly skilled musicians, but as friendly faces as well.
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