Live Review: Zoo Twilights: The Cat Empire, Alysha Joy

We wander into the sound of local soul collective 30/70 vocalist Allysha Joy dedicating a tune to her eternal crush N'fa Jones. Fair 'nuff, the man's well worth writing a song or two about. This soul kween is definitely schooled in the vibe of Erykah Badu and Nai Palm. It sounds like she has swallowed them whole and brought them back up in a big soul soup, the kind that has the two-year-old kids around us grooving.

The Cat Empire are the perfect choice for a Zoo Twilight gig. They have that age-group appeal to the kind of crowd that grew up with the band in the early '00s and now a lot of them - like the members of the band - have young families, but still want to get out and see live music. Perfect. This year could very well be Zoo Twilight's most successful run ever and so it's no surprise that this big gig has been sold out for a while.

The union that is The Cat Empire hit the stage to Wolves from their 2016 album Rising With The Sun. It's clear from right off the bat that despite - or because of - a lengthy break, they have not lost any of the Cat Empire-ness that we know and love: musicality, enthusiasm, vibe, charisma. Felix Riebl is a gentle soul and a wonderfully humble frontman for a band that could rightfully be showing off its musical credentials from the rooftops. Harry James Angus has clearly been working on his voice; from a vocal style that started out, years ago, a bit whiny he has transformed into a vocal lion, wailing into the night with a strength developed in the jazz clubs of the world.

This band is masterful at the slow, poignant build-up that escalates to peak party vibe such as during Steal The Light, which gets the biggest roar for the night (and not just from the lions). They play Two Shoes and The Wine Song, and while the kids up the back are still bopping along, the crowd up the front is bouncing as one in the fading night light. They end with The Chariot and bid us farewell, and it's been a beautiful night.