Photo by Derek Martinez

Few names in music elicit as many knowing nods as Steve Kimock. Even those who may not have seen him perform are familiar with his name, although those who have yet to see him live have no idea what they are missing. The opportunity to watch Kimock and his current quartet at a small club in Music City seemed too good to pass up. They did not disappoint.

As we skipped into the venue after a driving tip from Nashville’s finest, we were charged up to hear a smoking show. We knew with Bernie Worrell, of the Talking Heads and Parliament/Funkadelic on keys and the rhythm section of Wally Ingram and Andy Hess, that the night was gonna be one to remember. The last time I saw Kimock was at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and that was a great show. However, this night at the little club in Nashville the band was amazing.

They came out of the gate charging with, “Five B4 Funk” a groovy number that set the jammy tone for the rest of the show. As the night unfolded with each number seemingly more intense than its predecessor, the band was joined on stage by Billy Ward, who helped out with percussion. As the band dove into a funky version of the Beatles’ “You Can’t Do That” classic, Steve pulled some girls on stage to shake it to the extended jam that included “Super Stupid” before dropping back into “You Can’t Do That” to end the set.

After a short break and a well-deserved breather, the band picked up where they left off with the Toots and the Maytals’ classic, “54-46 (Was My Number)” which brought the house down. As the band stretched out and really dug into the tunes, the crowd was eating it up. The girls were still on stage having a ball, as was the audience. The atmosphere at Kimock shows really is like a family reunion.

Following a jammed out “You’re the One” with some fire on the keys added by Mr. Worrell and some crazy percussion from Ward and Ingram, the band dropped into the Kimock classic “Crazy Engine”. The excitement in the band was apparent from the floor. After a set closing, soul-searing “Tongue N Groove” the show finally wound to a close.

After a few minutes, the man himself came down and said a few words to the remaining crowd. Steve took a few photos and shook a few hands and said his goodbyes. It didn’t seem there were many Kimock rookies in the crowd but if there were they were converted that night. The older fans left after this incredible show and feeling thankful that Steve and friends are still bringing it, as they have been for many years.