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Snarky Puppy on Tour
With a jazz-minded head and a jam-band heart, Snarky Puppy are the ultimate live act. A collective of 40-odd rotating members who typically play shows in groups of 10 to 20, they frequently play with guests ranging from David Crosby to Charlie Hunter to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Led by bassist and composer Michael League, this rogues' gallery of instrumental misfits stir up all sorts of styles — rock, jazz, funk, R&B, Afrobeat, fusion and various world strains — into one big roiling pot of groove. Snarky Puppy have been playing together in various iterations since 2004, and live recordings of their countless club shows, festival stops and concert hall gigs are feverishly collected by fans with good reason. No two concerts are alike, thanks not only to an ever-shifting lineup but also to a healthy dose of improvisation. When they have the space to stretch out, Snarky Puppy can easily go a couple of hours onstage, playing songs from their 10-plus official albums plus plenty of imagination-infused, on-the-spot riffing.
Snarky Puppy in Concert
Though Snarky Puppy are based in Brooklyn, Michael League founded the group in Denton, Texas, under ironic circumstances considering the group's runaway success. As a freshman jazz major at the University of North Texas in 2004, he wasn't good enough to place in any school ensembles. Starting his own band was a way to play the music he'd loved since his teenage years. And since then, Snarky Puppy have not only become a legendary live band, but won three Grammys: Best R&B Performance for their Lalah Hathaway–sung cover of "Something" (on 2013's Family Dinner, Vol. 1), and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for both 2015's Sylva (with the Dutch Metropole Orkest) and 2016's Culcha Vulcha. The group's unwieldy roster happened by accident. In Snarky Puppy's early days, members couldn't afford to turn down gigs with bigger touring artists, so League would bring in pinch players, train them and put them on the road. But between the bonds formed and knowledge acquired, it seemed a waste to kick them out afterward. Hence, "The Fam," as they're called, grew and grew, from Snarky Puppy's self-released debut, 2005's Live at Uncommon Ground, through League's move to New York, and on to albums like 2019's Immigrance, which leans deeply into the members' multicultural backgrounds to arrive at a sound that's continually new and evolving.
Over the course of their career, Snarky Puppy have brought many venues to capacity, like Warner Theatre (Washington, D.C.) and the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles).
I am a devotee of Snarky Puppy and have every CD they have produced. This was my 4th in person concert and it was spectacular. All have been fantastic, but this was over the top. Musically and visually.
This was my fourth time seeing Snarky Puppy. In every way, this was the best. The band itself is at the height of their power. The sound was pristine. The theatre resonated with the bass, but no hint of distortion. It was wonderful. The light and multimedia show was also good.
You can expect top flight musicianship from the puppy and they deliver. Great light show too.
I have performed in jazz/rock bands, and was completely blown away by the performance I experienced. The musicianship was absolutely top-notch. Every artist gave stunning solo performances, and meshed so well with the others producing an incredible "alloy"of music. That the group has roots in North Texas State is no surprise to me - I have long held that institution in the highest regard for their music. Seeing them perform in person was an absolute auditory and visual feast. (I had watched a YouTube video and was entranced; seeing them live upped the experience many levels!)
They came,They slayed,looking forward to seeing them again!
As always Snarky Puppy was amazing. There are two areas that kept me from giving the concert 5 stars. First, a little too much electronica in some tines, and secondly, it was too loud for the venue.
Snarky Puppy rocked the Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines. An intimate venue with that old theater charm. The band even hung out after the show to meet & greet the fans. All-n-all a great time was had.
Judging from their YouTube videos they display a high level of sophistication but the show was repetitive and generally uninspiring. Even the tribute to one of their idols failed. The keyboardist played 2 identical notes for 4 bars . Is that all you have to say or add? However now I know to avoid them next time and save my money and time.
Not the best experience. It was our first visit to MTelus. It would have been useful to know that general admission did not have any seats (contrary to what the tickets mentioned). It was a hot day and the AC was on and off. After the opening act finished, Snarky Puppy made us wait more than 45 minutes (maybe because this time they were getting paid?) OK music, and the MTelus personnel was very nice.
Bought tickets to see Snarky Puppy for first time, first show at the Jazz Fest this year. First surprise, opening act took close to an hour - nice group getting some exposure, but two in our party were seniors AND WE WERE STANDING UP IN A MOSH PIT! Then an hour long delay between acts (see above … still standing) Then Snarky, we could only stay for three songs - pretty good but impossible for us to stay longer. Hours and hours in Hell.
Saw Snarky Puppy here and they did not disappoint. Such a great venue, good food and drink, cool vibe mixed with Historic features and plenty of places to discover and enjoy in and around this area. As a gigging musician myself, I'd love to play here. As a concert-goer, I'll definitely want to come back! Well done!
This was a phenomenal concert! I've been to one Snarky Puppy show in the past (Newport Jazz Festival 2015) and they still blow me away after all this time! The sound at the Beacon Theatre was amazing, and I had a great seat in the upper balcony which gave me a bird's-eye view of the show. The show focused on new tunes from the Empire Central album, with two classics played at the end: "Sleeper" and "What About Me." But the best part was seeing THIRTEEN members instead of the usual nine or ten, just having the time of their lives onstage! Four horns, three keyboardists, two guitarists, a violinist, a drummer, a percussionist, bandleader Michael League...and a partridge in a pear tree. The energy was off the charts, and the crowd gave the band two standing ovations! GO and see Snarky Puppy when they come to your town or city! If you like jazz fusion that combines elements of Herbie Hancock, Rush, Tower of Power, Prince, Airto Moreira, and Pat Metheny....then you'll love what Snarky Puppy has to offer.
The venue was PACKED but everyone seemed to have a great time. The music was exciting and the set design was super cool. First Snarky Puppy concert, definitely not the last.
The concert was amazing, as was one of the most exuberant crowds of which I’ve been a part. Jazz isn’t my first choice of genre, although my father is in the central PA Jazz HOF. So I’m a little jaded and more critical than an average fan. The band was great and I’m not going to nitpick. I just can’t say 5 of 5 stars. If you’ve never seen Snarky Puppy, you should. It was an incredible experience.
It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. It was a top performance from a top band. The world needs more of this great music!
The venue was fun, but not made for a bunch of people. Nonetheless, it was a cool, small place. I'm guesstimating there were probably 1,500 people in a 1,200 person room. The guy who opened was amazing! I can't remember his name, but he was jus flat-out fantastic! Snarky Puppy was one of the best concerts Ive ever seen in 45 years and hundreds of shows. The sound was pristine, and the performance was flawless! The crowd was, as Michael League described, "rowdy", but in a great way. They fed off our energy and just blew the freaking doors off the place! Merch was expensive, but tickets were cheap, so, comme si comme ça. Alcohol was what you'd expect. $6/16 oz. beer, $10/shot liquor. Absolutely fantastic night musically, though the venue was a tad underperforming with lots of people, a small, single elevator, and overcrowded, second floor room, which is why my rating is a 4-star instead of a 5-star
Snarky puppy did it again, they sounded great, the mix was great and i loved the camera work. Great show. Now letsvtalk about Medeski & Martin. I only know their work with john scofield. They started with sounds that made me think they were playing a joke. i thought, surely they would stop abruptly tell a joke then start playing actual music. They never did. Billy actually played the friggin mums. Two mums, in their pots were shaken or shook into a microphone. Not amusing or funny or enjoyable. About three dissonant, disagreeable and bad "songs" a trumpet player tried to save the day. The guy did his best to save the day, bit honestly, who do those two creeps think they are? How long can you hear a hammond B3 play lead noodle. i know these guys can play, why didnt they? Dissonant, coming from a king crimson, Zappa, Verese fan. Those people do repetition, dissonance, and chaos justice.
At the risk of sounding extra, seeing Snarky Puppy live was one of the few bucket-list things I've had since 2016. That was when I first heard Shofukan via a friend at work, and they were unstoppable. Their sound was magnetic and I'm so glad I saw them live after all that time! They played new music throughout this set (apart from the encore for old times' sake) and it was a thrill! To see all the familiar faces on stage, having fun while doing what they do, in flesh, was surreal. Here's to hoping I see them live again, and soon!
The actual show startred about 1 hour late because there was a warm up band. They were so bad, I was really upset for having to sit through it for an hour. Please - Event organizers should state clearly when each show starts. Thanks,
Snarky always puts on a great show. This was one of there BEST. My daughter and I are big fans and we agreed. GREAT SHOW
