Hollis Brown fans were unexpectedly greeted by a large line wrapped around Brooklyn Bowl for the band’s record release show last Saturday night. Inside, the crowd was full of eager listeners ready to hear songs from their new EP “When The Weather’s Warm,” as well as old favorites. The New York City rock quartet impressed from beginning to end with southern rock n’ roll heavily tinged with blues elements. Each of Hollis Brown’s members (consisting of three Mikes and a Jon) gave solid performances on their dedicated instruments. From the soulful and heartfelt vocals of Mike Montali in “When The Weather’s Warm” to Jon Bonilla’s astounding guitar work in “Walk on Water 2.0”, and a great cover of the beloved “Wooly Bully”, Hollis Brown’s set was pure rock n’ roll magic.
Having the backing of hip-hop living legend DMC of Run DMC can’t ever hurt a band. At the end of Hollis Brown’s set, the night’s extremely special guest came on stage and showed love for the band admitting he was a huge Hollis Brown fan himself. DMC then took the crowd down a short musical memory lane with Run DMC’s “It’s Tricky”, a one of a kind cover of Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle”, and the classic hip-hop rock mash up “Walk This Way” with Hollis Brown.
The show felt like it should’ve ended after this, but Turkuaz was up next to perform. They surprisingly seemed to not be phased by playing after Hollis Brown and DMC’s showstopping performance. But once Turkuaz started playing, it was obvious that they’d be showstoppers themselves. The 10-piece band took the audience back to the 70s with their soulful funk infused songs. The high-energy band went from one upbeat song to the other without much break, creating a non-stop dance party on top of Brooklyn Bowl’s wooden floors. If funk group George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelics gave birth to a band, they’d be the proud parents of Turkuaz.
Hollis Brown and Turkuaz somehow covered the genres of rock, blues, soul, hip-hop, and funk in less than two hours. At the end of the night, the two talented bands checked all the necessary boxes for an outstanding night of music.
Hollis Brown tour dates:
3/10 @ Knitting Factory — Brooklyn, New York
3/16 @ Speakeasy — Austin, Texas
3/16 @ The Belmont — Austin, Texas
3/18 @ Fado’s — Austin, Texas
