The Off Beat: Freedom Day(s)

Tarriona “Tank” Ball of Tank and the Bangas loves her some Black folk (photo by Cy White)

Onstage at the Historic Victory Grill Wednesday, June 12, Scott Strickland marveled at the fact that dozens of Black Austinites made it out to observe Juneteenth a week in advance. “You know we can be late sometimes,” he joked. But June 19 – the day, in 1865, that more than 250,000 Black Texans first learned that slavery had ended – occurred two years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Freedom Day came late. So why can’t we celebrate it early?

Nourishing the Soul and Stay Black & Live, two events leading up to this year’s midweek Juneteenth, did just that. Prideful but playful, the musical/culinary/artistic convergences honored the best of Black culture – on the Eastside, of course.

Organized by the nonprofit Capitol View Arts, Nourishing the Soul tapped the underutilized East 11th Street venue to host an evening of food and music, like it once did as a Chitlin’ Circuit hot spot. Ticket holders paid $35 to enjoy a plate of either fried catfish, lamb chops, or wings, plus two sides of mac & cheese, collard greens, or fries, while local artist Strickland and Dallas-based musician Quentin Moore performed.

Strickland, who serves as secretary of the Music Commission, recalled the days when music was made by “guys with guitars on porches” as he stripped down his folk-rock catalog to just an acoustic. Peppering his songs with quick mentions of gentrification and Gaza, he urged his audience to vote in this year’s election. “That’s the only way we’re gonna change shit,” he said.

Meanwhile, Moore kept it light, enlisting drummer Dwayne “Gummi Bear” Berry and electric cellist Elis Regina Ramos for a cheeky neo-soul set. Playing originals – including Snoop Dogg collaboration “B.F.U.” (that’s “Bitch, Fuck You,” though he prefaced the song with an “I love everybody” disclaimer) – alongside unexpected covers like Spandau Ballet’s “True,” Ginuwine’s “Pony,” and Metro Boomin’s viral Drake diss “BBL Drizzy,” überham Moore loosened up the dimly lit dining room, transforming the evening’s vibe from classy sit-down dinner to freewheeling party.

Celebrations ramped up to all-day affairs by the weekend. On Saturday, the fifth annual cookout and concert series Stay Black & Live returned to the Carver Museum’s backyard. On the lawn, food, music, and a bounce house for the kids – notably, all free – emphasized the event’s lighthearted, community-centered focus, but on the perimeter, the museum underlined the reason for the gathering. Educational signage detailing Juneteenth’s history decorated the ramp leading into the field, while banners across the way declared “Black history is American history” and “We freed ourselves” to Rosewood Avenue passersby. Nearby, boards and a pop-up booth explaining the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict extended solidarity to Gaza.

Despite the afternoon heat, organizers managed to make the jubilee’s 3pm start time manageable. Pitmasters from Mama’s BBQ handed out free plates of smoked sausage and chicken, Make My Day Ice offered complimentary sno-cones, and Austin Energy provided water refill stations. Food trucks including the vegan spot Concr., B&J’s Good Eats, Anything’s Baked Potato, and lemonade company Sweeter Than Sour rounded out the offerings (for a price).

Because, as Zoumountchi frontman Ibrahim Aminou noted, we all come from Africa, the festival’s live programming represented all musical styles. The Sahara Lounge house band, plus Nigerian singer Tarela, repped Afrobeat; saxophonist Charmin Greene brought the jazz; and DeSoto High School choir the Difference Makers bravely took on a mix of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson belters. In between acts, DJ Cali inspired folks to leave their shaded tents and run through the Cupid Shuffle and the Wobble, proving once and for all that Black people can’t resist a line dance, even if it is 95 degrees.

Tank and the Bangas and Scarface wrapped the event as double headliners. Donning a “Black Voters Matter” T-shirt underneath a purple-and-yellow plaid blazer-skirt combo, Tarriona “Tank” Ball led her sixpiece New Orleans band through a mash-up of their hip-hop, funk, and soul-infused hits, including “Hot Air Balloons,” “Spaceships,” and tracks “Who’s in Charge” and “No ID” from 2022’s Grammy-nominated Red Balloon, anchoring their grooves with both high-pitched squeaks and unflappable spoken word.

Later, the Geto Boys rapper – naturally, sporting an Astros cap – ran through solo classics like “On My Block,” “Mary Jane,” and “I Seen a Man Die.” Acutely aware of every note his band made, the artist, born Brad Jordan, often signaled the musicians to quiet down or stop playing altogether to make way for his monologues, or even switch songs on a whim. Before cutting one track short to launch into gangster confessional “Mind Playing Tricks on Me,” the Houston artist declared, “I know for a fact I was the first rapper to talk about mental health.” Oversight in mind, it made sense when his crew brought out a music stand, coat, and baton for Scarface to play conductor.

Tank and the Bangas summed up the festivities a bit earlier in the evening, when they played the 2022 track “Black Folk.” “Black look like a revolution/ Look like a family reunion at the park,” Ball said, in her usual self-assured lyrical style. She was repeating the recording’s intro, not addressing the crowd. But as the sun set in East Austin, it sure felt like an apt observation.