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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).
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Not only did we get to see Snarky Puppy in person, but Cory Henry came out and 3 other former drummers during the night. Got to hear their most popular songs, as well as a lot of new music. Overall fun concert with a great vibe.
The first band was very hard to enjoy both for their music and the terrible job of mixing done by the sound man. Way too much booming kick drum. Snarky Puppy were terrific. Again too much boomy kick drum. I am a bassist and could not hear the bass guitar all night. Sound was better in the back but still same complaint
First things first. GroundUP artist Roosevelt Collier kicked of the show with what could have been a great set. Unfortunately, the performance of the innovative pedal steel player was ruined by sub-par sound. His group was way too loud and the mix was such that the bass and keyboards sometimes went missing. Collier's stunning technique was obscured at times by painfully out of tune playing. Perhaps he couldn't hear himself clearly. An excellent local guitarist brought on stage as a guest was completely inaudible during what might have been a shredding solo, drowned out by Collier's amp. Regardless, the audience seemed to have like the set. I could hardly wait for it to be over. Snarky Puppy played several songs from their new CD, all of which I had heard online. The live performances had all of the impact, clarity, and precision of the studio versions. The band was incredibly tight in every possible way and the playing approached perfection. We were treated to a percussion clinic when three former Snarky Puppy drummers were invited on stage to perform together. An assembly of five drummers could easily have been a train wreck and this crew pulled off an extended jam without missing a beat. It was amazing and super cool to hear and was worthy of a standing ovation. On top of that, keyboardist Cory Henry's cameo appearance was unexpected and the playing was exactly what one would expect from him: Tasty, funky, quirky, and full of technical wizardry. Notably, the volume level of the 11-piece group was lower than the quartet that opened the show. The sound level was perfect and every instrument and nuance could be heard. Snarky Puppy's reputation as a first-class group is well deserved and I hope to see them when they return to the LA area.
Great venue ! Awesome show ! Excellent sound ! ...........
We had THE MOST incredible time! The venue was incredible, so nostalgic, classic! Our seats were perfection and Snarky Puppy ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!! We can not wait until they are back in our area and we will be there again and again and again!!
You'll rarely see a group of more talented musicians in one place, and never a group of fans more supportive of the band's efforts. See them each and every time they come to town!
What an amazing experience. The music and environment was truly breathtaking. We traveled to see the show with friends.
I haven't been to a concert in quite sometime that was as good as the Snarky Puppy concert. Micheal League and his crew are such good musicians. They hit it hard from opening to close. My only gripe was the sound system was pushed to the edge of distortion, but the event was still a killer.
Wish there was a dancing area and the drinks were too expensive.
Some of the most fun and accessible jazz, jam fusion ever. Great night of music.
What a great show. Amazing level of talent on that stage.
Frankly, as much as I've loved Snarky Puppy's recordings, the concert was a a bit disappointing. Perhaps I'm just old (hence my nickname), but it was SO LOUD it was almost difficult to hear the music. Some instruments (e.g. organ) drowned out the others. Also, I found the lighting effects very distracting. Don't get me wrong, I've loved a good light show in my day, but I did not like have super bright lights shined in my eyes, & the stage lighting backlit the musicians, making them hard to see - one of the reasons I like to go to concerts is to SEE the musicians as well as hear them.
Snarky Pupp's show at the Paramount, sponsored by SF Jazz was simply amazing. Drawing from their newest release "Immigrance" and digging into selective choice cuts from their extensive catalog, the Puppys brought the thunder and lightning, the majestic funk and soul and truly awesome musicianship of all 9 players. The textures range from etheric and mystical atmospheric renderings to Hendrixesque keyboard solos and horn textures that were stunning. Snarky Puppy challenges their audience to come along for the ride and get their groove on, simply infectious, soulfully delightful.
Sound for opening act was BAD. Bass drum bass was so overmiked it killed the bass and keyboard completely. The whole sound was about 30%too loud, and nobody made any adjustments throughout the set. By contrast, sound for SP was excellent, and well balanced but for a bit of periodic bass drum overkill.
This was my first Snarky Puppy concert. I bought tickets on a suggestion from a friend who is a fan of theirs. I absolutely loved the concert. It's one of the best concerts I've been to in a while. I definitely recommend you see them if you never have. I will definitely be seeing them again.
This was a phenomenal show. We had reserved seats, which is nice for the older folk ;) My only issue was the line down the block to get in, in the cold rain. It took wayyyy too long to get people in the door. I don't know what would improve that, maybe more door staff? First they checked IDs for wristbands, then metal detector and bag searches. The staff was super nice, but wow that was a drag. We actually tucked into the HOB restaurant for drinks and waited out the line, since we had reserved seating. But we missed some of the show waiting out the line. Other than that, it was a great time! The band was outstanding, as ALWAYS.
Snarky Puppy concert was good however the stand up venue was uncomfortable after a while.
Opening act and main attraction was awesome. I will definitely be going to another Snarky Puppy show.
Great performance!! It was my first-time hearing Snarky Puppy. I was very impressed with the eclectic mixture of jazz, soul, and funk! A very energetic group wit soul.
The band was enjoying themselves so much and the crowd was so into the music that the overall house energy was incredibly high. I cannot recall a more exciting concert. Leader Michael League loves this band and the music and his love and (again) energy was infectious. I was also struck by the diversity of the crowd, with all ages and ethnicities loving and responding to the music. Such a good time!! Please return soon, Snarky Puppy
