PHOTO: MARC MILLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY | You hear the term “supergroup” way too often. But how about a band of bandleaders? That’s what’s happening at Tipitina’s on Friday night when the Magnificent Seven get together for the first time in nearly a year and a half. The group was supposed to play Jazz Fest this past spring but was one of several bands to get cancelled due to rain. It’s their only show of the year. The videos below are the originals of some of the songs they may play.
The Magnificent Seven features Dave and Tommy Malone on guitar and vocals. They front the Radiators and the subdudes respectively. John “Papa” Gros of Papa Grows Funk is on keyboards and vocals. Bonerama’s lead horn man and singer Mark Mullins is on trombone and vocals. The rhythm section features Rob Mercurio of Galactic on bass, Raymond Weber (formerly of Dumpstaphunk and Dr. John’s Lower 911) on drums, and Michael Skinkus, the bandleader of Moyuba, is on percussion.
These seven musicians have a vast book of songs available to perform including tunes from each of their respective catalogs. Based on their three previous performances, fans are likely to hear a lot of covers, both well-known and obscure.
The musicians also have a long history of performing together. The Malones actually fronted a group by that name in the 1980s and have performed together numerous times in various permutations over the years.
Mullins has written horn arrangements for the Radiators and performed with them many times. His band, Bonerama also occasionally plays a few Radiators’ songs.
Gros was in a sorely missed band back in the day with Mullins. MuleBone may have been the first rock band that featured a trombone player out front. Gros also plays with Raw Oyster Cult, the band that Dave Malone formed with two of his bandmates in the Radiators following their final show six years back.
As far as I know, the connections between Mercurio and Weber with each other and the rest of the musicians are more tenuous, but each brings monster funk chops to the proceedings. Skinkus has played with everybody including numerous gigs with the Radiators.
Show time is 10 PM. Expect two big sets with no opening act.
