Heatbox Sets the Vibe at Free Show
I’ve seen hundreds of shows across multiple genres, but some of the most memorable nights are the ones where you catch yourself laughing your head off while absolutely burning up the dance floor (think TVBOO, Diesel, Tenacious D). I’m happy to report such an experience last Saturday night at Murph and Mary’s Pub in Newton at the free Heatbox show.
I’d never been to Newton and was happy to see the uniquely set-up ped-mall, alive with people playing cornhole and kids running around outside. The space inside Murph and Mary’s was large, plenty of room for people to take a seat at a table, have a seat near the performer, or dance in the empty space up front.
My friend and I took our 3rd row seats for the all-ages show and Heatbox took off like a rocket. He records individual layers, loops it, and builds tracks from the ground up with just a ukulele, a web of foot pedals and his voice. He stacks beatboxing, harmonies, basslines and instrument sounds, all while mixing and blending the layers with his feet. He’s known for upbeat covers of popular songs, his creative originals, and his off-the-cuff improv. His rendition of Nelly‘s “Must Be The Money” got the whole crowd engaged, skillfully censoring any lyrics that weren’t totally G rated. We love a person who reads the room!
He’s got a large stage presence in both personality AND sound. You’d swear there was a 5 piece jam band on stage. The songs progress so naturally you actually forget he is only 1 man. After a few songs, and a rockin’ vocal trumpet solo to Hit The Road Jack, chairs everywhere were abandoned. People were dancing, socializing and total slaves to the vibe. Even a family with 2 small children packed up their food neatly into to-go boxes and stood dancing and twirling.
If you’ve seen Heatbox, you’ve seen him sing about The Princess Bride. With a thumping Spanish guitar riff and a chorus that repeats the most iconic line from the movie, it was no shock to see new fans screaming “Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die!” This is an amazing song that definitely gets the attention of anyone who hasn’t yet experienced Heatbox. The whole act was so unserious, but excellent and a wonderful showcase of one man’s talent and creativity. He even used his craft to communicate with the bar staff, saying “this next song is called Can I Still Order a Pizza” which turned into a solid 5 and a half minute groove about slices. During the song, he got a thumbs up from the cook to confirm his order.
The dance floor was full and a new friend I made in the crowd offered me a slice from her table. Eating that slice while vibing on the dance floor brought such a sense of irreverence.
Next up was my personal favorite, the Fanny Pack song. One guy in the crowd rhythmically motioned to his invisible fanny pack and Heatbox dubbed the move as “the official fanny pack dance” – soon everyone in the crowd had joined in.
The show wound down and I had my chance to secure the vinyl record and stickers had been eyeing. During the transaction after the show, I let him know I had just bought my first vinyl this week (LSZEE!), and I was happy for his to become the second addition to my budding record collection. I also made sure to tell him I heard him play at Camp Euforia in Lone Tree, IA and his song about fanny packs stuck with me, although I’ve never been able to find a recording on all of YouTube. He said I wasn’t the only fan asking about it and mentioned the possibility of an official recording in the future. Potential song of the summer!?
After having time to process the whole show, I’m left appreciating the flow of his performance. Opening with familiar sing alongs quickly pulled the crowd together. His last song was a brilliant medley featuring an original song, plus Warren G and Nate Dogg’s “Regulate“, with a final jazz trumpet vocal solo and an acapella beatboxing solo that was truly impressive. After bouncing between raw talent and vibe-elevating comedic moments, I was glad he ended with this reminder of the true skill he has.
As I packed up to leave, I heard some chatter about a Heatbox show in my hometown of Cedar Rapids in a couple weeks. I simply have to take my kids. My next mission? See if I can get my vinyl signed and have a chat with him about his life outside of music. He recently posted about a videogame he’s been developing– it’s now in the testing phase, and I can’t wait to hear more about that.