Encountering True Loves on a Sunday Afternoon
The True Loves play the Spanish Ballroom on Friday February 9th. See the calendar for more details about this show and other upcoming live events in the Tacoma area.
By Joel Schomberg
The story of how I encountered the band the True Loves unfolded on a sunny Sunday afternoon in 2016. I was strolling down Pike Street in Seattle, headed to meet a friend, when a good vibes, funky bassline grabbed my attention. The music hooked me and pulled me off course, to the old Everyday Music (RIP) on Capitol Hill. It was Record Store Day, and Grace Love and the True Loves were giving a live performance that had made the store hot and sweaty. Everyone was moving to the music. Even those who were working or engrossed in flipping through records still couldn’t resist swaying to the infectious rhythm.
That Sunday marked not only my introduction to the True Loves, but my initiation into the realm of contemporary soul and funk music—a genre that really shows its sixties and seventies roots, both rhythmically and in its emphasis on live instrumentation, especially the swingin’ brass section. This movement gained new momentum in the early and mid-2000s courtesy of Coalmine Records and Daptone Records, who brought us such contemporary greats as Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, and The Budos Band.
Since that memorable Sunday, the True Loves have evolved into a formidable eight-piece instrumental ensemble. The band includes David McGraw on drums, percussionist Iván Galvez, Bryant Moore on bass, Jimmy James on guitar, and a dynamic horn section featuring trombonists Jason Cressy and Greg Kramer and saxophonists Gordon Brown and Skerik. Their live performances have not only earned them acclaim but also millions of streams on YouTube.
In 2017, the True Loves made their mark with their debut LP, Famous Last Words, a record that earned them global recognition. The title track stands out to me as a cinematic masterpiece. It’s the opening scene in your own movie that kicks off hard and heroic, a soundtrack for strutting down the street with fist bumps and head nods, knowing that everything is all right. But then midway through the sonf, a dramatic breakdown on the bongos transforms the mood. The track slows down, turning. Bravado gives way to reflection and wonder, marking the true beginning of your story.
Fast forward to 2021, when the True Loves unveiled their latest album, Sunday Afternoon, on Color Red Music. This album is the serendipitous way I ended up writing to you all here in Tacoma, urging you to catch this talented band at the Spanish Ballroom on Friday, February 9th.
This will be the band’s homecoming show after their West Coast winter tour, so let’s be sure to welcome them home proper and five the True Loves some true Tacoma Love.
The True Loves and Sam Parker at the Spanish Ballroom at Elks Temple, 565 Broadway, Tacoma. Friday, February 9th. All ages.