Atomic Bomb: The Music of William Onyeabor live at The Greek - 5.8.14

The Greek Theater was home to one of the more special and unique nights of music that I've had the chance to take part in this past Thursday. With a stellar lineup that included Money Mark, members of Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party and that perennial purveyor of eclectic music the world over, David Byrne, the music of little known Nigerian funk musician William Onyabor was brought to life with fervent joy and reverence.

So little is known about Onyeabor, in fact, that it wouldn't surprise me to learn all of this secrecy surrounding his history was all just a put on. One thing that's for certain: Onyeabor's music is incredibly catchy and hook driven, probably lending itself more to a live concert setting than an afternoon at home with some tracks clocking in at nearly ten minutes. Stand out tracks included "Atomic Bomb" and "Fantastic Man," featuring Byrne on vocals.

A collection of Onyeabor's music was released on Byrne's Luaka Bop label recently and is probably the best introduction to Onyeabor's work. Check it out on Luaka Bop's site: http://luakabop.com/onyeabor/