Extra Golden To Play Echo; Continue To Dig Obama For That Whole Visa Clearance Thing
HEADS UP
Extra Golden @ Echoplex Wed 6/18
June 18 is shaping up to be one busy night for music fans, locally. Let’s just give the whole night “Pick of the Week” status now (it’s happened before): Rilo Kiley’s at the Greek and Fink’s at the Troub. Still, you really should not sleep on the chance to see Extra Golden when they come to the Echo. This is east African benga and American rock fusion at its finest.
The musicians for this tour are the same who performed on the latest album Hera Ma Nono:
Opiyo Bilongo: Lead guitar, vocals. Member of Bana Mayaka from Nairobi’s Kariobangi area.
Onyango Wuod Omari: Drums, vocals. Member of Bana Mayaka.
Kimpaul Jagwasi: Vocals. This is the younger brother of late EG co-founder Otieno Jagwasi, and he sings with the touring benga band Dola Kabarry and Orchestra Super Haki Haki.
Alex Minoff: Guitar, vocals. Former member of Golden and guitarist for Weird War.
Ian Eagleson: Guitar, vocals. Co-founder of Extra Golden with the late Otieno Jagwasi, and former member of Golden.The band will have five singers, all trading off on lead vocals duty from song to song, and three guitarists trading off on rhythm and lead roles, some times doing all at once. They will be performing songs off both albums, some new compositions, as well as some benga songs composed by the Kenyan bandmates.
Among those new benga cuts may be another song for America’s favorite Luo-decendent, Barack Obama. Extra Golden previously recorded “Obama” on their latest album, a praise song for the senator after he helped the band clear visa hurdles for their last tour.
You may not find too many pink pastel shorts up on stage, but you’re guaranteed to find plenty of the sounds those pastel-short-wearing dudes are digging and (arguably) appropriating for the masses. Who’s to say, maybe both bands will meet onstage at the Pitchfork Music Festival for a brief benga session in July.
» Extra Golden will play Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago
» Extra Golden’s Website | Myspace | Label (Thrill Jockey)
» Extra Golden on All Things Considered
» Alex Minoff sounds off on Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer & rock critics with little knowledge of African music
