Black Pumas | Concert Experience

Under the red fluorescent lights of the Saint, a small crowd begins to shuffle towards the curtain at the front of the stage. Those wearing Sea Hear Now wristband got a preview of bluesy-rock duo Black Pumas that morning, and may have thought they had an idea what was in store.

They’d be wrong. 

From their fiery opening song to their resounding conclusion, the Austin-based group were always anchored by their core duo, singer Eric Burton and producer/guitarist Adrian Quesada. The Black Pumas transcend the present and bring us back to a sound from the past, when soul and passion were music’s guiding principles.

A true frontman, Burton had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. And he was kissing their hands too, taking every chance he could to leap offstage and dance with a crowd who couldn’t get enough.

Burton’s voice transitioned from light and melodic to ferocious and howling in a matter of seconds, bringing every note with a command that was impossible to ignore. But it’s the support of the Black Pumas backing band that made their set truly incredible, especially on the crowd-pleasing “Fire” and the roaring “Know You Better”. 

But another standout was the stark, soulful “Black Moon Rising,” mainly featuring Burton and Quesada showing off the musical connection they have as a duo. The entire show was really a showcase of the chemistry and talent that this duo harnesses into every performance. 

After the bombastic sound of the Black Pumas, the small stage didn’t know what hit it.