Buzz on July 20th, 2015

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By Sara Smithson

“This is a family affair tonight and now you are a part of it.” This warm statement from Canadian composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mocky on Friday night at the Lyric Theatre didn’t come as a surprise, but it was nonetheless endearing.

His way of approaching music has not only earned him some great credits as a sought-after producer (Feist, Jamie Lidell, Peaches, to name a few), but his uplifting demeanor has gained him friends wherever he’s gone. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2011, he befriended locals like Moses Sumney, Kelela, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Pegasus Warning, Joey Dosik, Nia Andrews, Lucky Paul and many more — all of whom seemed more than happy to be joining Mocky in celebration of his latest album “Key Change” (out now via Heavy Sheet).

With a cast of eight undeniable virtuosos already on stage for opening numbers
“Upbeat Thing,” “Time Inflation,” “Up Above,” Mocky only took his seat behind the drums during “Golden Dream.” These instrumentals wonderfully set the passionate tone for the night, and those who had packed themselves into the room succumbed to the jazz-infused compositions.

The 40-year-old, born Dominic Salole, finally slipped out from the drum set after a lush performance of “When Paulie Gets Mad” and picked up his bass to sing most of “Head In the Clouds.” Moses Sumney, however, walked out and took over after the second chorus. It was a beautiful pairing of vocals and intensity and this musical collaboration continued during Sumney’s “Scratch the Surface” (a tune they co-wrote), plus a few more percussive jams and interludes that followed.

“Weather Any Storm” provided another wonderful turn when Mocky once again sang on lead vocals (and took his hi-hat for a walk), only to have the lovely Kelela to appear out of the fog to join him for a few velvety measures. Although she didn’t perform either of their collaborative cuts from her album “Cut 4 Me” (“Floorshow,” “Do It Again”), the spotlight became hers when she poured herself into the sultry “A Message.”

In fact, all of Mocky’s special guests all had their moment in the spotlight. Joey Dosik’s snippet of “Inside Voice” especially had the crowd going, and Nia Andrews, who provided backing vocals for most of the night, finally came out in front for a song of her own. Pegasus Warning had a wild solo on the bongos and Lucky Paul even showed off his tambourine talents.

During the final medley, which prominently featured “Birds of a Feather” (with the original recording featuring GZA), a new guest playing tambourine surprised (and shocked) many in the room with a magic trick (which appropriately yielded a white dove). After the puff of smoke settled, Mockly nonchalantly reacted. “Musicians these days. They have all kinds of skills.”

Skill, talent, charm and innovation were among the many traits Mocky and his squad possessed and utilized on Friday. Most importantly, they all had the friendships to pull an impressive show off together.

Canadian singer AKUA opened the show.