Hepcat – Inciters – Boss Harmony – at The Music Box at Fonda Theater – Hollywood, CA

It was a seemingly ordinary Friday night in Hollywood, but for the large, diverse crowd gathered inside The Music Box, this evening would be anything  but ordinary. Legendary 90′s reggae/ska band would be performing. For diehard Hepcat fans, this was a huge deal because since 2004 the band has been mostly off the grid, only playing occasionally.

Soulful Santa Cruz natives, The Inciters, opened up the show with playing their hearts out for over an hour. Their band includes a wide variety instruments and vocalists. The funky guitar along with their brass section and three female vocalists made for a thoroughly entertaining set. They sounded like a lush mixture of 60′s  pop, soul, and Motown.

Each of the three amazing female singers had distinctly different voices, they each took turns leading with the others harmonizing background vocals, all the while synchronizing their dance moves and hand movements. Even though the crowd was typical Hollywood Cool and didn’t dance as much as The Inciters would have liked, it was clear that everyone was enjoying the vibe and music that The Inciters were creating.

During the intermission Boss DJ spun a mixture of Reggae and Soul music. The crowd mingled with their drinks socializing  much like one would at a house party. As I had mentioned before, the crowd was made up of all walks of life, rude boys, Punks, hipsters, older people, younger people. Everyone meshed together perfectly and there was a strong sense of happiness and unity all night.

The time came for Hepcat to take the stage and you got the feeling that everyone had been saving their energy for this moment. As soon as the band kicked in, the dancing commenced and didn’t falter through the duration of their set. Greg Lee and Alex Desert were animated, dancing and laughing infectiously  as they sang their songs. The music had a prominent influence of swing, soul, reggae, and ska all rolled into the one deliciously unique sound that gave this band their legendary status and huge following.

After an epic set, the band exited the stage and instantly the shouts for an encore started then the shouts turned to everyone in the audience pounding their feet on the floor, the ground shook beneath us.

After a minute or so Hepcat returned to the stage for an amazing encore. As the sweaty Hepcat fans made their way outta the Theatre, it was clear that we were all on the same page, completely elated to have captured a moment in time with the ever elusive Hepcat!

 

-J. Moncrief-
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter

 

 
More photos from the show can be seen HERE
 

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