The ensemble music group AZTEC SUN will come to the Carroll Arts Center bringing their signature "funk with soul” to a Westminster audience.
Their sound is described as upbeat and retro groove steeped in ’70s Funk and Soul with overtones of Jazz, Afrobeat and Motown-era pop.
The show takes place Saturday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. on the Arts Center stage. Tickets are $30 for adults or $27 for those 25 younger or 60 and older. Carroll County Arts Council members receive additional discounts. Tickets and more info are available online at CarrollCountyArtsCouncil.org or through the box office.
The Washington DC-based group “has hypnotized the ears and feet of live music lovers since late 2012” when they assembled around a Craiglist ad searching for members for a rock group, according to a news release.
They make no secret of their local roots in their music. Anyone who has spent time on DC public transportation will recognize the “step back doors closing” captured in the opening song “Red Line” from their first full-length record, “In the Name of Everyone.”
The album was released in 2018 and is available on major streaming services. A music video for the titular song, plus live performances can be found on the group’s Youtube page.
They cut their teeth on live events, parties and bars and have become a go-to, "no matter the scale of the venue.”
The band has also expanded and now AZTEC SUN has many more members with a horn section, group harmony and coordinated outfits — all modeled on modeled on the funk and Soul traditions.
“Today, AZTEC SUN performs with a collective mindset, drawing a parallel between the communal nature of music and the community that has grown around the band. Thus, while the performers may vary from show to show, at its core stands a diverse and tightly-knit ensemble with a shared affinity for groove music,” according to the release.
AZTEC SUN was named “Best Local Original Band” by the Washington City Paper in 2016 and a runner-up in 2017.
The concert Feb. 1 is sponsored by Blair Reid and John Glenn.
The Carroll Arts Center is located at 91 West Main Street in Downtown Westminster.
More information about the band is available at aztecsunband.com. They go as @aztecsunband on most social media.
If you go
What: AZTEC SUN “funk with soul” concert
When: Saturday Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.
Where: Carroll Arts Center, 91 West Main St., Westminster
Tickets: CarrollCountyArtsCouncil.org or box office