ACL Review: The Suffers

“People call us a soul group,” mused front sass Kam Franklin at some point midset. “We call what we do ‘Gulf Coast Soul.’”

What this means for the Suffers is tapping into the humid, swampy R&B of their native Houston. Yet this isn’t the Sixties, and the Suffers aren’t Archie Bell & the Drells. The 10-piece favors a babymaking Seventies soul soundtrack by Roberta Flack and Barry White, only played with a lot more sweltering grit.

Above all else, the Suffers are an old-school show band. Over the course of an hour on the tiny BMI stage – both it and the audience overflowing – the Suffers demonstrated a love of jazz, hip-hop, and ska. Early on, Selena’s “Baila Esta Cumbia” even made an appearance.

“We started out as punk and ska kids,” smiled Franklin.

This band works as a true unit. Their ensemble musicianship is seamless, with not a crack or crevice visible, and no player particularly standing out or showboating. Such is the service to pure groove, and providing a thick sonic cushion for Franklin’s sultry vocals. The singer, meanwhile, oozes charm while working the audience like a siren.

Big music festivals are hard environments for connecting or creating intimacy. Tight grooves including “Stay” and “Slow It Down,” plus loads of variety and Kam Franklin’s outsized personality, bridged the gap expertly. On Sunday, the BMI stage became the Apollo Theater.