PHOTOS + REVIEW — Lettuce Orlando 2024 ⋆ Shows I Go To

PHOTOS + REVIEW — Lettuce Orlando 2024

Lettuce • February 23, 2024 • The Plaza Live — Orlando, FL • Photos by Josh Jauz — instagram.com/joshjauz

REVIEW — Lettuce

The Plaza Live Orlando, FL /// February 23, 2024
Review by: Spencer Storch /// @coolguyspence

Funk is like hot sauce: universally loved and somehow it makes everything better. Equally as loved is the goliath funk band, Lettuce. The steamy, hot funk of Lettuce has been radiating from Boston, since 1992. The Lettuce: VIBE tour, with its wafting waves of jazzy tunes and crunchy grooves, has made its way to The Plaza Live in Orlando! The show only gets better with support from the astounding Cimafunk!

It’s Friday night, I arrive at The Plaza Live to find they are in the midst of their most recent renovation. They have leveled out the floor for the comfort of the fans in the city’s first (1963) 2-screen movie theater. The historic Plaza LIVE is one of Orlando’s stellar concert venues offering a wide range of concerts, comedians, and cultural events. Back in the early 1990’s, the movie theater was converted into the live-performance venue it is today. Its latest edition is yet to be realized as we work our way past the dry-wall and through the powerful scent of fresh paint to see some funk – which will make it all better! Construction got you down? Douse it with that musical magma!

Up first is Cimafunk – an Afro-Cuban funk band led by Erik Iglesias Rodríguez. In 2019 he was named on the 10 Latin bands to watch, and in 2023 he was nominated for a GRAMMY Award. Cimafunk’s music isn’t just about dancing and cutting loose; the Cuban artist wants to encourage his fans to enjoy themselves as people. His second album, El Alimento, was nominated for Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album for a 2023 GRAMMY Award. Needless to say, this guy is good. He and his band zap the icy cold Orlando crowd and charge up The Plaza Live with energy!. Hands in the air while Cimafunk sings in his cool black threads and white frame sunglasses. The set ends and the crowd shows their appreciation for the hot n spicy delivery. Go see Cimafunk!

Lettuce is next and the moment couldn’t be more glorious. Bassist Eric Jesus Coomes’ long curly blonde hair flows in the breeze of his personal fan as the crowd cheers with delight. Drummer Adam Deitch dons dark sunglasses as he takes his seat behind the kit all the way to my right. These hot ones stand in front of big boombox looking lights that pulse and strobe to the music. The visuals are Da Bomb as the two hour set begins with a big band, jazzy number. They use this time to spotlight trumpeter and percussionist Eric “Benny” Bloom, who sets the tone with a silky, Sunday morning solo. He hands the baton to Nigel Hall on keys who twinkles and slides his way through the song. Then they do something cool, they play a portion of Labi Siffre’s 1975 track “I Got The…” which was sampled by Eminem in his 1999 breakout hit, “My Name Is.” Wow that was badass! Next, Bloom salutes the room with another spectacular solo before Nigel lays on his keys to gain energy for the band a lot like Sonic when he spins in place to go faster! He finally releases us and we are rewarded with cool sounds and weird noises before we splash down through Hall, I mean the atmosphere, to Earth. It’s a rollercoaster ride when Hall has control, but Deitch keeps bringing those beats as we ascend to the top of Mt. Crushmore! My toes curl, my hands up, and I scream for the funk as we freefall into “Sounds Like a Party to Me!” The exhilaration ends with a “Make It Funky” encore, where Hall leads the crowd in a call-back, “Yeah!”

Have fun on Jam Cruise yall! Florida: They will be at Sol Fest May 2 – 5 in Ponce De Leon!