Concert Review: NOMO

By ELGIN SMITH

No discussion about an afrobeat group would be complete without a mention of Nigerian musical pioneer Fela Kuti, and NOMO certainly channeled his innovative sound last night.

Battling sub-zero temperatures, I made the trek out to Lawrence’s Jackpot Saloon to check out the Chicago afrobeat act—and I wasn’t disappointed. I had heard a little bit of the band’s supple, funky beats before checking out the show, but I was truly blown away by the earthy, gritty sound that these guys generated.

The first thing apparent about NOMO was that they had been jamming together for a while (seven years, to be exact). Their sound on the opening number, “Invisible Cities,” was extremely tight with cohesiveness that you just can’t fake. Frontman Elliot Bergman (tenor sax, keyboards, synthesizers) was the first soloist on tenor, possessing a reserved but skillful sound. That soon gave way to baritone saxophonist Dan Bennett, who’s growling, raucous style deserves a lot of credit for NOMO’s chaotic, colorful overall sound.