Sunday, April 24, 2011

Some Words with Adam Gold of Sophistafunk!


On March 3 of this year the members of The Way Live Should Be (WLSB) went to see Dumpstaphunk at Port City Music Hall in Portland. The show was amazing, but it was the opening band that night that really caught our attention, largely because we had never heard of them before. Their name is Sophistafunk, from Syracuse, NY, and the core members consist of; Jack Brown - vocals, lyrics; Adam Gold - keys, bass, vocals and Emanuel Washington – drums. They describe their sound as, “Combining hip hop & spoken-word with the sounds of live funk, soul, & dance music, the trio SOPHISTAFUNK has invented its own style of cross-genre music”. We would agree! From the seriously talented percussive skills of Washington, to the pick-up-my-Moog and dance around the stage antics of Gold, and the enlightened, brilliant lyrics of Brown… these guys really caught our attention. Imagine our excitement to hear they would be playing The Way Life Should Be Festival (no relation) in Brooks, ME this coming June! A well traveled, really funkin' fun band from New York, back again? We had to hear what they thought about Maine from their last trip!

WLSB: Any comments on your last trip to Maine?

Gold: We had a freaking blast in Maine. You know, it seems really far away from New York, but it isn't. All those New England states are so close together, we were amazed how quickly we got to Portland. Either way, the vibe was incredible, the water was close by, and the area was just bustling with creative energy!

WLSB: Was it your first time in Maine?

Gold: I once attended a Phish festival in ME many years ago, and a couple close friends from college are from Maine; Camden and Greene. However, for the other two members of the band, it was their first time, and it WAS my first time in Portland! I'd heard so much about how great the city was.

WLSB: What did you think of Port City Music Hall?

Gold: I probably talk about Port City twice a week. One of our favorite clubs to perform in of all time. The beautiful art gallery in the front just prefaces the whole evening with greatness and creativity. The venue is FIRST CLASS, with an incredible sound system and sound engineers. The managers and employees there are more-than-accommodating, as well as the upstairs green room areas. (SHOWERS!) We can't wait to return to that venue, and the state for that matter.

WLSB: What was it like opening for Dumpstaphunk?

Gold: We were really fortunate to share the stage with legendary funk artists like them. They are super funny, super FUNNY, and ridiculously funky, and I envy their ability to get all the women up on stage like that! It was cool to level with them in the green room, and I believe Ivan got a phone call from Keith Richards while we were eating dinner!

WLSB: How did you guys get on the band list for the Way Life Should Be fest? What can we expect from the show?

Gold: Our agent Gabe helped put that one together, but my guess is that YOU and your friends that saw us at PCMH made it happen! MAN are we glad that we're a part of this festival. Now that Nateva is canceled, The Way Life Should Be will be the biggest most banging festival in Maine all summer! You can expect some crazy tricks up our sleeves. I've been preparing and saving up for some crazy new instruments that I plan on going crazy with this summer, and the way we absorb energy from the audience will only be magnified with an outdoor festival.

WLSB
: Why are you interested in playing Maine venues?

Gold: We love the fact we will be playing up there because we've never been that far north in the state, and therefore have never truly been able to spread our music to the people of Maine. Also, since I've visited there before, and because I LOVE lobster rolls, I just can't wait to get fat and funky for everybody!

WLSB: Anything else you would like to say? Again, we were super impressed and feel like you guys have a very distinctive, inspirational/motivational/super groovy sound that we haven’t really heard before!

Gold
: You know, one thing that comes to mind is, yes, we have a unique sound. Sometimes its so hard to get that across to people. “Hip-hop” is a box, even “Funk” is a box these days. There are SO MANY "funky" bands that are really nasty on the "jam scene". But… I really feel like our music TRANSGRESSES these boundaries. We are inspiring and positive dance music. Simple as that.

Simple as that indeed! Thanks so much to Adam Gold of Sophistafunk for chatting with The Way Live Should Be! These guys are sure to impress and make you shake your bootay at the upcoming festival…. BE THERE. Anyone who hasn’t heard yet about the The Way Life Should Be festival it is Friday June 3rd – Sunday June 5th in Brooks, ME. It includes other great acts like the Roots of Creation, Stream Reggae, Cyborg Trio, Running Gags, Chaos Sauce, Fiddle Heads and others from all over the east coast! Watch for the Way Live Should Be’s festival preview coming very soon! We hope to see you there!

Sophistafunk: https://www.facebook.com/#!/sophistafunkband?sk=info

Way Life Should Be Music and Camping Festival: https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=160291940693442

Tickets for the festival!: http://thewaylifeshouldbe.ticketleap.com/

Write-up and interview done by Heather Omand, Edited by Kim Morrison

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