By: Nickie Peña
It was about time. Nearly one year after releasing their self-titled album, Tuxedo
made an appearance last Friday night at the Observatory North Park. Since a past
lover first turned me on to the single ‘Number One’ – a classy, more female-friendly
rendition of Snoop Dogg’s ‘Ain’t no Fun’ – and then catching their feature premiere
on NPR Music’s First Listen, the group was instantly added to my “must see live” list.
Formed by DJ, producer and singer-songwriter Mayer Hawthrone and Seattle-native
hip-hop producer Jake One, the group’s musical style pays tribute to the highly
acclaimed disco funk of the early ‘80s. Better yet, their style was self-described
during Friday’s show by Hawthorne as, “gangster-boogie-funk sh*t.” Agreed.
Those in attendance witnessed fans at the Observatory North Park maintain a
steady groove that continued through most songs from their debut album, including
a killer keyboard solo and a few covers such as Bell Biv DeVoe’s first hit single
‘Poison.’
Although the group was dressed in stylish black and white dapper for their San
Diego debut, it was difficult to not remain focused and in awe of the lady modeling a
gold-sequined romper. Her aura and sweet dance moves gave the performance
some added charm…most importantly, she kept the crowd in an energized boogie
from opening song to the final encore.
Tuxedo: For next time, don’t stay away for too long. San Diego liked the funk.
Photos by: Rachel Frank
