Photo Review | Federator N°1 @ The Paradise

Breaking most of the decorum for an opening band, Federator N° 1 stormed The Paradise with such Afrobeat power you almost forgot that it was St. Patrick’s day in Boston. They made full use of the lighting rig (no), asked for an additional song after their 45 minutes (no-no), and fostered a frenetic mood via a backing dancer (beyond no).

Federator delivered fresh takes on classic tracks, opening with Dawn Penn’s “No, No, No” then a celebration of Fela Kuti with “Gentleman” and “Lady.” Yet, with an original piece sung by Lilla D’Mone, Federator proved their chops extend far beyond the label of cover band.  A blistering horn section punched the down-strokes, while vocalist Jonathan Gramling offered hip-hop syncopation for their party anthem “Let’s Start.” At the end, the crowd was quite happy to have the house grant extra time, swaying and singing along with “Could You Be Loved.”

While the rest of Boston may have been opting for a more Gaelic celebration, those who arrived early for South Africa’s Freshly Ground were treated to a solid warm-up.