Opening for The Cats was Nine Mile, a dynamic duo just returning from a tour in Australia. The singer D’Ari sounds like a combination of Ben Harper and Jack Johnson with a few others too. The drummer Dave Tolley plays a Peruvian drum called a cajon. Talk about man becoming one with his instrument. It was interesting to watch and the drum sounded incredible. Nine Mile’s songs reflect on relationships, the longing while being away and the turmoil of returning. This duo’s combination of instruments and voices is a beautiful thing. They finished their set with Bob Marley and it turned into a massive sing-along. Nine Mile’s tees scream ‘Unf*** the world’. It’s a sentiment I hope they continue to spread far and wide.
The Cat Empire fuses every style of music: funk, jazz, latin, rock, klezmer, rap, ska, reggae, Indian styles and others I don’t know can influence any one song. Introduced to this Melbourne band while I was in Australia, this CD was one of the best things I brought back with me. The band consists of a DJ, a singer/drummer, a drummer, a singer/trumpet player, a keys player and a bass/guitar player. ‘Music is the language of us all’ states one of their song titles.
