Don't let their name fool you - the band Snarky Puppy is no joke. In fact, the only funny thing about Snarky Puppy's March 14 concert at the Berklee Performance Center was the expression on band-leader and bassist Michael League's face when his band did something genius - which meant that this astonished, elated countenance was present during just about every moment of the show. League, who composes and arranges all of the band's songs, was wonderful to watch, and the energy at the show sizzled. Audience members knew how lucky they were to be witnessing what was happening on stage, and it was clear that this spirit drove the band to new creative heights in each song. They pushed so far outside of original studio recordings that, at times, their music became nearly unrecognizable; that is, until the band synchronously returned to the song's main theme and the audience grew ecstatic.
Many fans were first introduced to Snarky Puppy a few months ago when the band published their now viral YouTube hit, "Something," featuring the remarkable vocals of R&B singer Lalah Hathaway. At this point, Snarky Puppy was still a jazz diehard's band: if you were to ask any avid jazz listener about the group, his or her eyes would have widened in excited surprise - a reaction to both the band's talent and to the fact that someone else had actually heard of them.
In January, all that changed. Snarky Puppy and Hathaway received their first Grammy award, in the Best R&B Performance category, for "Something," defeating better-known artists like Miguel and Tamar Braxton. For the first time in Snarky's 10-year existence, they received national attention.
No group could be more deserving. The 10-person (or sometimes more) band has been waiting for this moment for a long time, churning out underground jazz-fusion gold for years, while developing their standout sound. Snarky's style goes beyond just jazz; many of their songs have pop melodies with synthesized layered harmonies; others are reminiscent of Latin or salsa themes, while some channel traditional African rhythms. But every Snarky song has a few core elements: each one is entirely a group effort, with every member contributing something unique and ingenious on their instrument. The songs are all full, intense, diverse and subject to extended and unexpected bouts of improvisation. And each one allows a single member of the band to take center stage, with their band mates in supporting roles, making it abundantly clear why the lead performer is in the spotlight.
At the Berklee Performance Center, Snarky played five songs from their most recent album, "We Like It Here," as well as a few audience favorites, including "Thing of Gold" (2012) and "Binky" (2012). Many fans were looking forward to hearing the band perform one particular track off its new record called "What About Me" - a funky, catchy tune that utilizes every horn, keyboard, drum and guitar and embodies Snarky's uniqueness. Unfortunately, "What About Me," played at the beginning of their set, was disappointing. The band didn't sound in sync and the sound mix was off. It simply was not the Snarky that the audience had come to expect.
As it turned out, the band had arrived at the Performance Center only 45 minutes before, after their tour van went off the road during their drive to Boston. They were discombobulated and rushed, and consequently got off to a shaky start.
It was even more impressive, then, when by the third song, Snarky snapped into place and sounded like the cleanest jazz/funk/pop out there. The group had the crowd on its feet, hooting and hollering: "Preach it!" yelled one audience member during League's solo. And that seemed fitting: the Snarky show was, in many ways, a musically religious experience.
