ACL Live Review: Masego

Not everyone in Zilker Park at 6pm on Saturday stood in front of Billie Eilish atop the massive Honda stage like a scene out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. At the not-at-all small Tito’s tent, a thickass mob turned up for soul-pop YouTube sensation Masego. Or rather, turnt up.

Military grade singer born in Jamaica but raised in the mysterious U.S. reggae enclave of Virginia, Micah Davis, 26, glided onstage in a burst of energy to a live rhythm section, keyboardist, and backup gal, and only increased an energetic ascent until the moment he left the stage an hour later in a puff of smoke. (Well, practically.) Part quiet storm – emphasis on gale force – and predominantly New Jack Swing, he proved in his element straight off.

“I kinda like today’s weather in Austin,” he waved at the 60-degree temperatures after having survived weekend one’s scorcher. “It’s kinda nice.”

Then he took the 20-year-olds down yard, as they say in his native Kingston town – not reggae, but his self-proclaimed “TrapHouseJazz.” After his entry honking on an alto sax, his multi-instrumental skills took a backseat to mic control and moves. Tall and lanky in a white ensemble, he looked like a stilt-walker in an earthquake whenever he shimmied.

Where Pink Sweats on the same packed stage preceded him with a measure of earthen grit in his updated TSOP, Masego’s slick, trebly rhythmic sheen liquified early highlight “Lady Lady,” title cut to September 2018’s first LP. “Queen Tings” shook its backside à la Caribbean, while sugar mama ode “Old Age” lit up hormones, pheromones, babymakers, you name it. Date night came early for every face in the crowd and their partner.

“Y’all like jazz music?” shouted hurricane Micah, who then received the same roar back. “Y’all lyin’.”

Scatting like mad, then picking up his alto for a sax-off with the keyboardist, and finally making a beat from scratch to show off his band’s improvisational skills, Masego proved his own truth. Beats falling faster than dominoes, rippling verses straight outta dancehall, and even liberal vocal vamping à la Disney with some choruses of “hi-dee, hi-dee, ho” all slot-machined three cherries for a jackpot.

Turnt up turned into burnt down.

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Masego

Saturday, Oct. 12, 6pm, Tito's stage