Black Pumas and The Dip Bring the Funk to the Lowcountry

The Black Pumas were joined by The Dip Wednesday night, in Charleston, and it was electrifying! The Refinery was packed with a crowd that brought the energy to keep up with two funky, intoxicating musical groups! 

The Dip kicked off the cool evening with their hit single, “Paddle to the Stars”, followed by crowd favorites like “Sure Don’t Miss You” and “Slow Sipper”. Their newest hit, “Love Direction” was released earlier this year, but the way the crowd knew every word made it seem like this song has been around forever! 

Lead singer Tom Eddy and I caught up after the show and I got to ask him a question I have been thinking about for quite some time; who and what is their song “Atlas” about?! Eddy told me he wrote this song to honor all the women in his life who carried some heavy burdens and took on more than they should have. The lyrics are captivating and the melody is sweet! 

The Dip formed in 2013 while they were music students at the University of Washington. Combining funk, indie pop, and rhythms & blues, this group stands out with a 3-part horn section. Tom Eddy (lead vocals, guitar), Jarred Katz (drums), Mark Hunter (bass guitar), Brennan Carter (trumpet), Levi Gillis (tenor saxophone), Evan Smith (baritone sax), and Jace Holmes-Floyd (keys) are The Dip, and they will be touring through the rest of 2024 promoting their album, Love Direction. 

In my opinion, there’s nothing better than an opening band that is just as excited and animated as the headliner! As sad as it was to see The Dip exit the stage, they had the crowd buzzing with anticipation for the next act! 

Black Pumas brought the same energy to the Refinery as they did to the 2021 Grammy’s! Eric Burton got on stage and gave one of the best live performances I’ve seen in a long time- he may be the best vocalist of his genre! Adrian Quesada (guitar, producer) shreds and there is no questioning his eight Grammy nominations!

The band, its backup singers, and overall stage presence are top-notch, making for a fantastic night of psychedelic soul- and a good ol' cover of "Fast Car" is always welcome! They saved "Colors" for last and every single fan was on their feet moving to Burton's soulful voice. Fun fact: "Colors" was written while viewing a New Mexico sunset and if you haven't ever witnessed one, I would say you haven't really lived!

Black Pumas' latest album, Chronicles of a Diamond is out now, and you can catch them on their international tour through the fall.