Slightly Stoopid / Tribal Seeds / Ethan Tucker @ The Pageant, St. Louis, MO

Words and pictures by Duane Clawson
First things first.  I LIKE SLIGHTLY STOOPID!  There I said it.  I know there are many peeps that don't exactly care for SKA brand of music but I do.  From the first time I heard The Specials way back in the early 80's, I've been a fan of this brand of music.  So with that out of the way, let's begin our review, shall we?  Olympia Washington native Ethan Tucker set the pace for the evening with a smooth acoustic set.  If comparisons are going to be made, I would put Ethan as part Dave Matthews part Ben Harper.  Members of Tribal Seeds and Slightly Stoopid appeared onstage at various times assisting Tucker with his solo performance. 

Tribal Seeds increased the mellowness of the evening with a stage that was awash with red and blue lights (a photographer's nightmare).  A suitable middle act, Tribal Seeds lean more toward the reggae side of ska.  In 2008, Tribal's self-titled debut was dubbed by iTunes as one of the best 8 reggae albums of 2008. Lead singer and co-founder Steven Jacobo, wearing a pair of dark Ray Bans throughout the band's 45 minute set, gave off the vibe of the band's southern California roots on a cold St. Louis spring night. 

After having read some reviews of Slightly Stoopid's live performance, I was a little leery of how this night might go.  No worries.  From the opening notes, one could feel this was going to be a good show.  Slightly Stoopid are old pros at the game of making music with some 18-odd years of performing.  Choosing more up-tempo numbers for the Pageant crowd proved to be a good choice.  The band had an excellent mix, a little heavy on the bass but just enough to feel it. I make the previous statement in response to some reviews I have read claiming the band's sound was horrible, but not tonight.  A few songs into the night and Slightly Stoopid founding member, and sometimes bassist/guitarist/lead singer Kyle McDonald, left the stage to crowd surf deep into confines of the Pageant.  Adding to the festivities,  the band was joined by Ethan Tucker and Tribal Seeds at various times during the hour and a half party.  C-Money, trumpet player for Slightly Stoopid gets extra props for his showmanship and general enthusiasm .  I'm going to put this show right at the top of shows I have seen in the past three years.  There was an overall great vibe at this show that was undeniable, a perfect blend of music, crowd, and showmanship made this a memorable evening.  Thanks to Chris Scott and Slightly Stoopid for allowing MTC access to this show.  Photos of the show are below:

 Ethan Tucker
Tribal Seeds
Slightly Stoopid
Contributed by Duane Clawson
Slightly Stoopid / Tribal Seeds / Ethan Tucker @ The Pageant, St. Louis, MO Slightly Stoopid / Tribal Seeds / Ethan Tucker @ The Pageant, St. Louis, MO Reviewed by Scott Rowe, Editor on April 24, 2013 Rating: 5
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