Evolfo

Whilst many of Norwich's musical milliards were beginning their annual migration south, travelling  deep into Suffolk and the festival fields of Latitude, I opted to stay put in the city, and instead joined a group of Thursday night revellers in the subterranean lair of Voodoo Daddys, where Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock outfit Evolfo were headlining one of just three UK dates out of a 19-date European tour, to promote their brand new album, 'Of Love'.

Normally a seven piece but, for this tour, minus trumpet player Kai Sorensen, it still proved something of a squeeze to fit keyboard player Rafferty Swink, guitarists Matt Gibbs and Ben Adams, bassist Ronnie Lanzalotta, drummer Dave Palazola, and saxophonist Jared Yee altogether onto Voodoo Daddys' stage. But boy, was it worth it! The sound and the energy of these former Boston-based boys is truly awesome.

With a brand new album to promote, it was no surprise that new material was going to feature prominently in the setlist. And so it proved, with Evolfo kicking off with 'Of Love' album opener 'Am I The Butterfly?', a slice of existential psychedelic pondering of which even René Descartes would have been proud. The cosmic groove continued with 'Rest Your Head On The Stone', and then some more -  with a further seven of the thirteen tracks off the new release. With all band members taking a collective approach in the songwriting, Evolfo's sound is a retro melting pot of influences. To my ageing brain there are definite shades of  experimental 70's prog – think Yes, or Can, perhaps. And yet, the whole live experience remains very contemporary in its energy and feel.

As well as providing a showcase for the new album there is still a place in the setlist for an appearance of Strange Lights (taken from 2021's 'Site Out Of Mind' album), and a brand new song, 'Whale'. There is no encore as such, although the final two tracks are each taken from the band's 2017 showcase album debut, 'Last of The Acid Cowboys'.

Well done to Ben Street and the team at Voodoo Daddys for such an inspired booking, and a special chance to experience this innovative American psychedelic rock band, right here in the heart of  li'l ole' Nozza.