Nashville – Full of surprises during their show at the Mercy Lounge, The Shadowboxers aimed to amaze Nashville audiences in anticipation of their move to the area in January. And this appeared to be no easy task, as more and more listeners squeezed into a concert hall that was already pushing maximum capacity even before the opening act took the stage. During the past year, The Shadowboxers have not only added loads of new followers to their ever-growing fan base for their soulful rock, but they also managed to conclude a highly successful northeast tour and announce that they plan on recording their new album soon. Consequently, the audience expected nothing less than fireworks at the band’s most recent concert.
Proving that their sound is not only catchy but also far-reaching, people in the audience represented a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. All of Nashville seemed to be in attendance, from the hordes of students recently liberated from finals week, to professionals tentatively sipping beer in their work clothes (and nearly everyone and everything in between). This sampling of people demonstrates how The Shadowboxers are able to please lovers of soul, funk, rock, pop and indie. And with such a diverse, growing and affordable music scene available to everyone in the area, Nashville concertgoers can be increasingly hard to impress. Expectations are high, and fans desire just a little bit more from bands that perform on any of the city’s legendary stages.
The Shadowboxers, however, exceeded any of the wildest expectations that came through the doors. Not only did they treat us to four previously unreleased and unrecorded songs, but they also had Justin Timberlake’s The Regiment Horns perform during their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” Similarly, “Is It Any Wonder” sounded positively sensual paired with guitarist Adam Hoffman’s dreamy solos, which sounded not unlike the riffs present in Kings of Leon’s 2008 album, Only by the Night. While many bands attempt to successfully incorporate such an array of genres and sounds into their music, few are able to accomplish it live quite as flawlessly as the Shadowboxers.
It’s clear that the King of Pop has largely influenced The Shadowboxers, as his characteristic groove is alive and well within their music. Even still, the band brings an entirely original take on this groove to the stage, which also nods towards pop’s recent fascination with resurrecting dusty ’70s and ’80s funk jams. With enough soul to bring anyone in the audience to their knees, the band blew the roof off the Mercy Lounge with one of their crowd-pleasers—and one of their more rock-heavy tunes— “Fixer.” This song seemed to bridge the gap between the old work off their first album Red Room (via Vanguard Records), and their newer sounds that have yet to be recorded. It was the perfect way to honor their Atlanta roots and simultaneously cast a glance towards their future in Nashville.
Possibly the most charming trio to grace the stage at Mercy Lounge in a long while, The Shadowboxers debuted an explosive show that has since solidified their presence in Nashville. Promising an even tighter live performance in a recent interview with Best New Bands, the group delivered tenfold, topping off 2014 with a sharp look, perfectly synchronized dance moves, and a taste of some new and supremely heartfelt tunes which will hopefully drop sometime in 2015. With plans to record soon, it’s patent that The Shadowboxers’ next album will be a triumph. The only problem for the fans will be the waiting period in between.
The Shadowboxers are done performing for the rest of 2014, but you can keep up with the band via Facebook.
Amaryllis Lyle
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