Chicago upstarts JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound is one of those bands that I feel everyone should know about already, yet, as evident by a half packed crowd at the Horseshoe, they clearly don’t.
Well, after seeing them twice in a matter of months, let me tell you something – JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound is absolutely a band you should know about.
Think of them as modern soul. Led by the super charismatic front man JC Brooks, these guys are as fun as it gets live. JC Brooks was basically made to perform. It helps that he has a theatre background but the man’s singing, dancing and showmanship was off the chart. He’s always trying to get the crowd involve and just emits a burst of energy that is unavoidable. You’ll have your dancing shoes on for a JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound concert.
Performing some crowd favorites as well as material off new album Howl, the group delivered a steady dose of neo soul and funk with modern lyrics, which I thought to be a nice touch. As with most soul shows, the band did not hesitate to bust out some covers that would enhance the mood. Representing their own city, the band did a lovely soul cover of Wilco’s I’m Trying To Break Your Heart as well as Blackstreet’s No Diggity, which he also did for the AV Club
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound cover Blackstreet
They also threw in bits of INXS and Janelle Monae for good measure.
One of those bands that I’ll probably see every time they are in town. So should you.