Kongos, an alternative rock band from South Africa, headlined a show last Friday night at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, as part of their “Lunatic Tour 2015”. The band consists of four brothers- Jesse, Johnny, Daniel and Dylan Kongos. All of the members are vocalists, with Dylan on bass and lap slide guitar, Jesse on drums and percussion, Daniel on guitar and Johnny on the accordion and keyboard. Kongos currently reside, compose and record in Phoenix, Ariz., but spent their childhood in England and South Africa. In 2007, they had a self-titled album, and released the album “Lunatic” in 2012, though it was not released in the U.S. until 2013. After being signed by Epic Records in 2014, the album was re-released, and now they are on their first headlining tour. The show opened with Colony House, an indie rock trio, known for their debut album, “When I Was Younger”. Subsequently, an indie pop band, Sir Sly, took the stage, where blue-haired vocalist Landon Jacobs said, “We’re from southern California, where it’s 85 degrees right now.” Jacobs excitedly jumped around the stage, presenting their debut album, “You Haunt Me”. To join the night, Kongos grabbed the crowd’s attention, starting off their set with the upbeat tune, “Hey, I Don’t Know”. Next, they performed one of their singles, “Sex on the Radio”. Following songs included “Kids These Days, Escape”, “Take Me Back” and “It’s a Good Life”, all off of “Lunatic”. “This Time I Won’t Forget”, brought a somber mood to the night, when the backdrop turned into a slideshow of pictures. Jesse expressed the importance of the lyrics and how it’s imperative to “remember people right now, and not when it’s too late.” To lighten the atmosphere, Kongos went straight into their next top-chart selling single, “Come With Me Now”, which has a groovy beat, making the whole crowd jump and belt out the lyrics. They continued with a cover of “All The Lonely People”, and two more songs from “Lunatic”. The show ended with another single with an irresistible beat. The air twisted with smoke and brought the crowd together once more. After departing the stage, they were called back on for a two-song encore, including a cover of their father, John Kongo’s song, “Tokoloshe Man”. The members expressed how thankful they were to be on tour again. Daniel said that this was their second time in Providence, and said, “You guys blew our mind that day, and you’re doing it again tonight.” “We have the best job in the world, we get to live the dream,” Jesse said. “You guys were amazing, and we can’t wait to come back. We’ll see you soon with a new album.”
