Tank and the Bangas' Liberation Music

In this video conversation with Lauren Keenan, members of the New Orleans funk/spoken word/R&B band discuss musical freedom.

Last weekend, Tarriona "Tank" Ball played the telephone booth as part of The Music Box's Roving Village in City Park. Today, she plays the French Quarter Festival's Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage at 5:45 p.m. with her group, Tank and the Bangas. 

Recently, Lauren Keenan visited the band to see them at home and in rehearsal. Here are her notes:

Tank and the Bangas are a volatile bunch. It feels clichéd to liken a band to a family, but listening to Tank and her crew on the couch together felt a lot like watching a bunch of siblings squeezed in together in the back seat of a car. When they aren’t yelling over each other, cracking jokes and poking fun, they’re having quiet moments of true insight and emotion.

The same holds true for their music. The often joyful, whimsical lyrics sometimes seem at odds with the depth of emotion that their music produces--emotion that becomes clear as the band discusses having seen fans cry at shows.