Back to The Future Man's Birthday Show Review
Back to The Future Man's Birthday Show Review
by Jason Jones
October 2023
Victor Wooten & The Wooten Brothers Band returned to Roanoke’s Jefferson Center on Friday, October 13, 2023. The tour marks the first for The Wooten Brothers since 2010, the same year their late great saxophone playing brother, Rudy, passed away at only fifty-two years old. The Jefferson Center hosted a vibrant crowd, filling most of the seats, while the room brimmed with energy. Anticipation grew as the band’s gear adorned the redlit stage, set in a simple and elegant mise en scène, while The Wooten Brothers logo danced across the backdrop. Displayed prominently on stage was Roy “Future Man” Wooten’s full drum kit, a surprise for many, as he is better known for playing percussion on the drumitar, an instrument that he invented.
When the lights went down, a walkup track brought the band on stage to resounding applause. The band stepped right into the opening number, “Double-u Double-o Ten.” The jam featured a tight, playful approach to the music, with many pauses, sudden shifts, and surprising swells and fades. Victor Wooten snuck into the lyrics a nod to Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” Another early highlight was a singalong that saw the band and audience trading the chorus of “if you love your freedom, thank a soldier,” a line that hearkens back to their upbringing in a military family. The band wasted no time in flexing the musical talents for which they’re so admired, including Joseph Wooten’s smooth use of flute, trumpet, and sax tones on keyboards and Regi’s virtuosic guitar playing.
Victor introduced the band early in the show, starting with the second youngest Joseph, and noting that the keyboardist, also known as “The Hands of Soul,” sang backup on the first Whitney Houston album in addition to having played keys for over thirty years for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Steve Miller Band. The brothers then spoke about their late brother Rudy, the middle of five, marveling at his ability to play two saxophones at once while circular breathing, even as a teenager. Then Victor announced the oldest, guitar playing brother, Regi, affectionately known as “The Teacha,” as it was he who, by the age of ten, had taught each of his younger brothers to play music together. Roy’s introduction included word that it also happened to be his birthday. Victor noted that people often did not realize that “Future Man” could play a real drum kit, but that in fact he’d played drums on the first Whitney Houston record, in addition to winning five Grammy Awards. A huge drum solo followed.
The night also saw Victor Wooten take a solo on bass, an experience unlike watching any other bassist alive. A sly creator on his instrument, Victor effortlessly changes tone and tempo, extracting infectious poetry from his five-string Fodera, transforming one’s understanding of bass guitar in the process. As Victor took us to another world, we were brought back to the real world when a baby began to cry in the audience, just as the band returned to their instruments. Joseph quickly comforted the baby, saying “it’s alright!”
A funky dance track with a laidback upswing followed, delighting the crowd. The bright red background tigered with white stripes added to the sultry flavor of the experience. The Wooten Brothers are a band that are difficult to sit through. As Victor mentioned in our interview with the band, “all of our songs are danceable.” Except for a handful of people located near the far walls and empty seats in the back, the audience remained seated through nearly all of the show until the finale. The band played to the room’s lowkey demeanor, as their performance was not only world class music, but also part storytelling, part history lesson, and part sitcom banter between the brothers.
Joseph Wooten’s song “Consuela Smiles,” written in dedication to Consuela Lee Moorehead, is a journey that starts brightly with energy and pace, then moves through a contemplative jam section, before returning to a melodic outro led by Joseph on keys. Joseph told part of Consuela’s story, hoping that if she could hear it, she’d be impressed with the mature work of her young student. She was an early music teacher for the Wooten brothers, who recognized the late Rudy’s early talent, saying he was ready for New York as a teenager. She was also the aunt of director Spike Lee and sister of composer Bill Lee.
Victor told the story of a former representative from Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert, a television show dating back to the 1970s, who contacted him by Facebook and ultimately gave him cassette tapes from recordings the Wooten brothers had done for the show in the 1970s and 80s. Some of which included their brother Rudy on saxophone. The band then played three of the disco-flavored songs.
I’ve been impressed with Victor Wooten and Future Man after having seen them live with Bela Fleck & The Flecktones; and Joseph’s vocal and keyboard work is the band’s glue; but the star of the show for me was “The Teacha,” Regi Wooten. His guitar playing was sparse and superb, finger tapping like a ballerina in pirouette, then unleashing fierce sweeps like a speed skater gliding over the ice.
“Sweat,” the first song to be released from the band’s upcoming album features an upbeat dance groove, fuzzy guitar, a thick bassline, and catchy lyrics. Future Man stepped from behind the drum kit and took up the drumitar for the song. Meanwhile, Victor and Regi danced together holding their instruments aloft and trading riffs on each other’s guitar.
The set finished with Joseph leading the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Future Man and Victor encouraging the audience, saying “remember what they said we can’t do, we’re doing right now. We are proof the world is better than what they say it is.” The band left stage to a standing ovation and returned after a short break, encoring James Brown’s “Sex Machine” and Sly & The Family Stone’s “Thank You,” playing at last for a standing crowd. <>
Photo credit: Openhead Takes Photos