Review: 7 Walkers @ Double Door

From there the quartet reached to American folk roots for Papa Mali’s rendition of the standard Little Sadie, redubbed Early in the Morning. Early in the Morning was stained with blues and bayou funk. Mali sang with a murderous demeanor tied in a web of bloody deceit.

Eventually the attitude faded in the dust of a New Orleans parade thanks to The Meters’ infamous Hey Pocky Way. Naturally Porter took lead vocals guiding the party with an upbeat R&B rasp. The music strutted with a celebratory beat, moving two steps forward for each step back. Tight melodic grooves played through the bridge as Hubbard and Mali traded dynamic solos, building towards a duel of shortened vibrations.

Mali picked active articulated builds that Hubbard flooded with a flux of slides across the keys. Following the storm Porter jumped back in with the final verse. He then rolled out a soulful bass solo that ultimately locked syncopated forces with Mali and Hubbard to make way for Kreutzmann’s procession on drums.  Set one culminated with a light weight Eyes of the World followed by a signature Kreutzmann drum solo. Each strike rolled off his sticks with round precision, driving the radiant beat through a fury of cymbals.

Set two carried on with the same spirited energy demonstrated in the first. There was plenty more Grateful Dead fun to be had, along with the original 7 Walkers boogie woogie tune Sue from Bogalusa. The evening officially came to an end after a two song encore of Bertha and the band’s theme 7 Walkers.

• 7 Walkers: 3/26/2011 Audio