The Suffers - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
Friday, March 22, 2019 at 12:41PM I was first introduced to The Suffers in 2016, when they were the opening act for Lake Street Dive at the Neptune here in Seattle. Now, three years on, they've been criss-crossing the US and globe on a headlining tour, and it's easy to see how and why they've achieved such acclaim in a relatively short amount of time: they put on a killer show.
Hailing from Houston, the 8 member band - fronted by the extraordinary lead singer Kam Franklin - creates a dynamically fresh Soul sound. Imbued with brutally honest lyrics that at turns confront grief, the pressure to conform, and accepting one's flaws, the tracks can't help but make the listener want to dance, as they're always buoyed with uplifting arrangements. Give a listen to "Make Some Room" and "You Only Call" for a nice introduction, and then give their newest album "Everything Here" a spin from front to back. You'll be glad you did.
Tractor Tavern was a wonderful place to see the show, as the intimacy afforded by the 200ish capacity venue heightens the profundity of the songs. And, to be clear, The Suffers won't be playing venues of this size for long: they are destined for arenas in no time at all.
It's worth highlighting, too, Seattle local Whitney Mongé who opened the show. Whitney has a phenomenal stage presence and sound that fits well in the family of Tracy Chapman meets Macy Gray and Kimya Dawson. Listen.
Catch The Suffers on tour here
Photos // Words by Alexander Hallett of Sattva Photo
