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Black Masala’s Gypsy Carnival at Home in The District at Gypsy Sally’s

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Photos by Josh Brick Graphics

Variety is the spice of life. When you have a double headliner billed at Gyspy Sally’s, a venue in DC that has become “home” for many live music fans, you show up and anticipate nothing but a great night of music ahead. On this particular evening, The Shack Band from Richmond teamed up DC’s own, Black Masala. It has been an honor to support a band with their own broad-based range of musical influences that flourish in their own way up on that stage. “Black Masala is a high energy brass band that incorporates gypsy punk, balkan, funk, soul and rock into their shows. The crowd at Gypsy Sally’s was electric that Saturday night” says Drummer Mike Ounallah.

The band has built a loyal DC/Maryland/Virginia fanbase, but 2015 saw the band moving into more cities in the surround regions. Before the end of the New Year it seemed fitting that the band, who has played all over this city, to make their debut at Gypsy Sally’s as their last DC tour date of the year. The setlist was a mix of the old, new, covers, and traditional tunes. The “Bhangra Ramo” featured on the new album sounded fantastic live, a track that emobies the band’s signature sound well. In a live setting, the band has also has a clear punch of funk. With their brilliant cover of “Lil Liza Jane,” the band pays homage to the birth place of funk. The energy level elevated with at the end of the set with a cover of Trombone Shorty’s “Hurricane”, Gogol Bordello’s “Passport”, before closing out with “Mescina” off their original self-titled album.

What a night for a band that seems to just get better every time I see them play.