Rene Lopez and Tomás Pagán Mottá @ Milkboy.
Text and images by Tyler Horst.
A stalwart few braved the cold and snow on Saturday to spend the evening at Milkboy, and were duly rewarded with an eclectic show featuring Rene Lopez (above).
Taking the stage early in the night was Tomás Pagán Mottá, a singer-songwriter from Washington DC. Using just his voice and an acoustic guitar, with the occasional addition of harmonica, Mottá filled the small upstairs room with some gentle, folksy tunes. His songwriting inspired by the likes of Elliot Smith and Bob Dylan, Mottá shifted easily between full voice and a high falsetto, swinging sweeping melodies over cascading chord progressions.
“I feel like I’m playing the mellow beginning to a funky after-party,” Mottá readily admitted.
That after-party was provided by Rene Lopez and his eight-piece band. Coming from New York City, Lopez and the band quickly warmed everyone up with an energetic mix of funk and Latin soul. Clearly a seasoned group of players, the band was tight even though Lopez announced it was their drummer’s first gig with the rest of the band.
Saxophone, guitar and bass laid down some funky lines over an intricate array of percussion. During a few songs Lopez abandoned the microphone to pick up an extra set of drumsticks, laying into a set of snares and cowbell to transform a soulful number into a flurry of interweaving Latin rhythms.
The band charmed the small crowd and Lopez encouraged everyone to move forward. By the end of the night, the snow was forgotten and the crowd used the extra room to move and dance.
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