While waiting to enter the Black Cat’s main room, I thought I heard a DJ spinning vaguely familiar but still obscure 80’s funk jams. Upon entering, I saw that it was not a dj, but actually the first band, Gordon Voidwell performing their set.
Gordon Voidwell is an ambitious youngster from the Bronx who does not write songs, he writes jams. Like their New York counterparts Chromeo, Gordon Voidwell have crafted a sound very akin to 1980’s funk along the lines of bands like Cameo or Shalamar. The funk synth lines are FILTHY, and that alone warrants my respect for them. There is however, so much more going on, and it’s a shame that the crowd wasn’t as into them. Though the drummer used a mostly digital drumset, the samples were straight out of a Oberheim DMX or Roland Compurhythm; in other words the sounds were distinctively 80’s, and not in a cheesy way. Though his drumming and patterns began to develop a sort of predictability, his lack of a shirt adorned by only a leather jacket kept the drumming fresh. Gordon Voidwell brings tons of energy to the stage, especially for an opener. Though you may think that this is just an ironic 1980’s kitsch band, there’s a subtle seriousness to Gordon’s songwriting. Whether it’s the faster Madonna/Jellybean-like songs, or whether it’s the slower Friday-night-at-the-skating-rink type jams, Gordon Voidwell has put a lot of hard work into writing music, and you can tell that these guys are legitimately fans of 1980s funk.
- Your easy loving
- Make her mine
(Toby McGuire story) - Maybe so, maybe no
- Gangsta Luv (Snoop Dogg original)
- I need you (Otis Leaville cover)
- I wish it would rain
- Ruthless (Guitarist Topher Mohr’s song)
- No Strings (new song)
- Beautiful – (Pharrell Cover)
- “Gonna take a long time (New Song)”
- What a Fool Believes (Michael McDonald Cover)
- Green Eyed Love
- Green Eyed Love pt II
- Just ain’t workin out
- Just ain’t workin out (remix)
- The Ills