A Look Inside Black Pumas’ Special Performance at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul
Celebrating new album Chronicles of a Diamond back where it all began
By David Brendan Hall, 2:02PM, Fri. Nov. 3, 2023
Homegrown soul rockers Black Pumas returned to their roots Thursday night at C-Boys Heart & Soul, where the band first launched with a residency in 2018.
The special show celebrated the Oct. 27 release of sophomore album Chronicles of a Diamond. The roughly 100-capacity concert, offered exclusively to Austin residents via a ticket drawing and first-come, first-serve basis, was hosted and broadcast live by KUTX (check out the full performance video).
The Grammy-nominated group – composed of co-founders Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada, singers Spice and Lauren Cervantes, keyboardist JaRon Marshall, bassist Brendan Bond, and drummer Steve Bidwell – ran through a 13-song setlist. The intimate concert included seven of the 10 tracks from their new full-length and a handful of beloved songs from their self-titled, Grammy-nominated debut, including debut single “Black Moon Rising” and the gold-certified “Colors.” As pointed out by Quesada, “Oct 33” proved an apt selection given that this show fell on Nov. 2 – technically that imaginary date.
Burton intermittently paused for reflection, noting mid-set that the band’s career “all started out as a dream.” He recalled busking in Santa Monica, Calif., and at the corner of Sixth and Congress, until he linked up with Pumas co-writer and producer Quesada. “Then I learned how to dream again,” he said.
Before closing out on new song “Angel,” Quesada offered his own meditation on the band’s origins, as well as a tribute to venue owner Steve Wertheimer. “Eric and I started this in 2017,” Quesada said. “We didn’t have a plan. We didn’t even know we were going to be a band, but we emailed some music to Steve from C-Boy’s. He might’ve heard one or two songs and he was like, ‘whenever you guys wanna play.’”
Black Pumas Setlist on Nov. 3 at C-Boy’s:
- Gemini Sun
- More Than a Love Song
- Know You Better
- Black Moon Rising
- Chronicles of a Diamond
- Ice Cream (Pay Phone)
- Mrs. Postman
- Confines
- Fire
- Oct 33
- Colors
- Rock N Roll
- Angel
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
Rachel Rascoe, Aug. 15, 2022
Carys Anderson, May 27, 2021
March 28, 2024
Dec. 29, 2023
Black Pumas, C-Boy's Heart & Soul, Eric Burton, Adrian Quesada, KUTX, Chronicles of a Diamond
