Concert Review: tUnE-yArDs @ SOhO - Santa Barbara, CA

From bangin' on some drums to samplin' her very own voice during her live sets, Merill Garbus did more than please the sold out crowd at SOhO in Santa Barbara this past Sunday. After opening with a track titled, "Do You Wanna Live?" which really got the kids in SOhO ready to live as well as dance, she shouted, "Last time I played a show in Santa Barbara there were THREE people!" She then continued to rock on with "Gangsta," which also had the crowd fully singing and dancing along. Garbus and the rest of the members of tUnE-yArDs are the true definition of a "spunky" band. While Garbus samples and loops her very own voice and melodies played with the ukelele during their live set, her two sax players  get the crowd lively and thrilled to be witnessing this genius musical set. I will only say this once, if you want to experience a magical and spunkified live show, then you MUST see tUnE-yArDs!

As the band continued with their set, which included tracks such as "Es-So," "Powa," and "Riotriot," it was evident that everyone was eagerly waiting for those sparkly beats that grace the opening of one of tUnE-yArDs' awesome hits titled, "Bizness." After "Riotriot," those lovely first few beats of "Bizness" arose and the crowd began to sway around. tUnE-yArDs is definitely one of those shows that require an intricate way of dancing. Arm movements above your head while swaying back and forth are essential, and hopping up and down is also acceptable for the hoppy boppy and unique tunes of tUnE-yArDs.


Photo taken by Cara Robbins of SB Independent 


Closing with another awesome track off their album "W H O K I L L," titled "My Country," it was clear that everyone wanted more Garbus, bass, and way more sax. The most epic thing about their encore was the way in which the audience summoned the group back out. The opening tune of "Gangsta" that sounds somewhat like a siren (which is about 37 seconds into the song) was being sung among the crowd. Garbus came out and said, "That was awesome." Good ol' Santa Barbara wins for creativity!

tUnE-yArDs will be playing several more dates in California, with a few dates supporting my other favorite lady, St. Vincent. tUnE-yArDs are also playing during some music festivals over the summer in Europe after touring North America. You can find out more on their Facebook page HERE. Be sure to catch their live show if you can. Trust me, it is something that every music lover must witness!