It was a surprise by any stretch of the word. Black Pumas, a soul-rock band virtually unknown outside Austin a year ago, found itself nominated in November for best new artist at the Grammys, right next to chart-toppers like Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Maggie Rogers and Lil Nas X.
But if the Pumas’ lightning-fast rise has been wildly unexpected, it’s also 100% warranted. Performing Saturday night before a capacity crowd at the Kessler Theater, the band put on a master class in how to fuse R&B and gritty blues-rock into perfectly-crafted pop songs.
Honey-voiced lead singer Eric Burton seemed ready to play 20,000-seat arenas, leaping, karate-kicking and jumping off the stage to dance with fans. Burton thrives on big stages, like those the band played at South by Southwest last spring. On the Kessler’s small stage, he was bottled up and ready to explode.
During the unreleased “Etta James,” Burton paid tribute to the late singer with the lyric “I just can’t get enough of your sweetness.” And just like Etta, the Pumas flip back and forth between sweet soul music and hard-edged stuff.
Their best songs are steeped in mystery and minor-chord melancholia. “Black Moon Rising” floated along like an ominous storm cloud. The gospel-tinged ballad “Colors” might be the creepiest song ever written about a state of bliss.
Adrian Quesada — the band’s co-leader, formerly of Grupo Fantasma — lent the group a garage-rock vibe with his concise, bluesy guitar solos, while spastic keyboardist JaRon Marshall added breezy funk flavors. Whenever the mood started to get too dark, the Pumas shifted gears.
After transforming Bobby “Blue” Bland’s foreboding “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” into a rousing singalong, the group ended the show with a bang via “Dirty, Dirty,” a psychedelic soul rave-up by the obscure singer Geno Washington.
Near the end of the set, Burton slipped off his black-knit hat and put on a ball cap emblazoned with “Dallas” to mark the end of the band’s packed three-night stand at the Kessler and Canton Hall. Since Dallas apparently couldn’t get enough of them, the Pumas spontaneously added a fourth show: a free mini-set Saturday afternoon at Josey Records.
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Grammy win or not, the Pumas already have Big D in their back pocket. Judging from Saturday night’s show, the rest of the world will be on board soon enough.
Up-and-coming Fort Worth singer-guitarist Abraham Alexander opened the show with a haunting set of gospel-fueled soul. Fellow Fort Worth native Leon Bridges turned up briefly to sing low-key backing vocals on “Stay” — a nice gesture of support, but hardly necessary. Alexander had the talent and confidence to win over the crowd just fine on his own.