The Nth Power is back on the road this autumn for the first time since before the pandemic and we’re all ready to Fall Back in Love. Helps that they’ve chosen that as the name of their tour, which has 20 dates across the United States. The much-loved band hit The Mint in Los Angeles on September 23, 2021, partially to promote the release of their new album “Reverence” (due September 29) with a few tunes from that and partly to remind us that their soulful older songs and classic covers make them a live band to truly adore.
Before The Nth Power hit the stage, some talented musical friends opened the show. Bass player Brandon Brown (from Fergie, The Jacksons, Isaac Hayes) led a funky set that unexpectedly had The Nth Power’s drummer Nikki Glaspie behind the kit. After Brown, Fishbone’s Angelo Moore led his side project, Dr. Madd Vibe, and the Missin’ Links, through a raucous set of high-energy songs. Moore played keys and various saxophones when he wasn’t roaring rapid-fire lyrics.
The headliners came out to loud shouts and clapping from a devoted crowd filled with fans, fellow musicians, and music-industry execs. The band formed out of a late-night jam at Jazz Fest 2012 in New Orleans. Nikki Glaspie (drums and vocals), Nick Cassarino (guitar and vocals), and Nate Edgar (bass) are versatile performers with a love for the old-school soul. Funk is also a big part of their sound and they have an innate ability to jam in a cohesive, sonically pleasing manner.
Cassarino’s intense and expressive singing on the opener “Only You” set the tone for the concert. He delivered most of the lead vocals, while Glaspie provided sweet harmonies and thundering drumbeats. Edgar and Glaspie were in the pocket all night. A few times during the set Cassarino said, “Let’s give it up for this amazing rhythm section,” and the fans obliged.
He introduced the song “Joy” by saying “We are here to bring you joy!” and added, “It’s such a pleasure to be out of the motherfucking house.” “Truth” followed as Cassarino and Glaspie harmonized beautifully. The song shifted immediately into the uplifting spirit of “Right Now.” Glaspie and Edgar thumped an amazing beat while Cassarino played an incredible guitar solo.
“I Will Never Leave You” came next and was inspired by Cassarino’s first trip to the Los Angeles area camp run by the Harold Robinson Foundation, the charity that helps at-risk kids from rough neighborhoods get out of the city for some fun. Glaspie is on the board of the charity. After that inspiring song, the band played a tune from “Reverence” called “Spirits.” While not new (it dates back to 2013’s “Basic Minimum Skills Test” EP), it was remixed and rerecorded for the new album. It has a super funky bass line that had everyone in the house moving to the groove.
Cassarino then said they were going to do a Meters song and the crowd went wild. They launched into “It Ain’t No Use” and after a phenomenal drum sequence, the song segued into “No More Okey Doke.” After the song, Cassarino exhorted the assemblage by crying, “We believe in the healing power of music!”
The band then began their soulful “Only Love” that flowed into funky solos by Edgar and Cassarino. After Glaspie and Edgar broke it down with a heavy rhythm jam, the band transitioned into Bob Marley’s “War.” Eventually, the song came back to “Only Love” and ended with an explosive Glaspie drum solo.
The set ended with the new song “Take My Soul” from “Reverence” that moves the band away from their familiar soul/funk genre and heads deep into the blues/Americana realm. The story of a runaway slave is told over a scorching, blues-rooted beat that concludes with a fiery guitar solo. The band left the stage, but the screaming audience forced them back for a one-song encore. Glaspie is a huge Earth Wind & Fire fan, so when The Nth Power broke into “That’s the Way of the World,” it was not much of a surprise, but a choice ending to a substantial show.
Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2021.
