Kam Franklin showed why she’s one of the “Queens of Gulf Coast Soul” during the Red Bull SoundClash: The Suffers vs Tank and the Bangas concert at the Bayou Music Center.
2Photos by Camilo Hannibal Smith
Kam Franklin showed why she’s one of the “Queens of Gulf Coast Soul” during the Red Bull SoundClash: The Suffers vs Tank and the Bangas concert at the Bayou Music Center.
3
Tank from Tank and the Bangas showcased the gumbo funk her group is known for. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
4
Tank from Tank and the Bangas showcased the gumbo funk her group is known for. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
5
Red Bull SoundClash: The Suffers vs Tank and the Bangas was an event with two stages, The Suffers on one and a few yards across, another stage with Tank and the Bangas. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
6
Red Bull SoundClash: The Suffers vs Tank and the Bangas was an event with two stages, The Suffers on one and a few yards across, another stage with Tank and the Bangas. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
7
The Suffers’ stage had two slabs with their trunks popped open, as part of the stage design. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
8
The Suffers’ stage had two slabs with their trunks popped open, as part of the stage design. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
9
The Houston rap guests during the show included legends like Trae Tha Truth. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
10
The Houston rap guests during the show included legends like Trae Tha Truth. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
11
Trae Tha Truth performed “Swang” with The Suffers backing him up. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
12
Trae Tha Truth performed “Swang” with The Suffers backing him up. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
13
Trae Tha Truth performing “Swang” as a special guest during the Red Bull event. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
14
Trae Tha Truth performing “Swang” as a special guest during the Red Bull event. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
15
Lil Keke was another guest performer who rocked the crowd with “Southside”. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
16
Lil Keke was another guest performer who rocked the crowd with “Southside”. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
17
The stage design for The Suffers looked like the rim of a slab. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
18
The stage design for The Suffers looked like the rim of a slab. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
19
Kam Franklin looks out at the audience during SoundClash. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
20
Kam Franklin looks out at the audience during SoundClash. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
21
Kam Franklin performing during the “Queens of Gulf Coast Soul”-themed concert. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
22
Kam Franklin performing during the “Queens of Gulf Coast Soul”-themed concert. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
23
The Suffers’ Kam Franklin singing during a portion of the Red Bull SoundClash concert. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
24
The Suffers’ Kam Franklin singing during a portion of the Red Bull SoundClash concert. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
25
It wouldn’t be a Houston rap show with Paul Wall if his jewelry partner TV Johnny Dang didn’t show up to give away a grill. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
26
It wouldn’t be a Houston rap show with Paul Wall if his jewelry partner TV Johnny Dang didn’t show up to give away a grill. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
27
Big Freedia hosted for the New Orleans portion of the concert. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
28
Big Freedia hosted for the New Orleans portion of the concert. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
29
Freedia performed as a guest running through some New Orleans’ bounce tracks. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
30
Freedia performed as a guest running through some New Orleans’ bounce tracks. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
31
The energy that Freedia and Tank and the Bangas had left the stage towards the end of the night and finished outside the venue. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
32
The energy that Freedia and Tank and the Bangas had left the stage towards the end of the night and finished outside the venue. (Photo by C.H. Smith)
Disclosure: Houstonia partnered with Red Bull to promote this SoundClash event.
—-
When The Suffers went up against Tank and the Bangas last night at Red Bull SoundClash, it wasn’t really to see who was the better group, it was about bringing New Orleans and Houston together. And that’s what happened.
The event, held at the Bayou Music Center downtown, spilled out to the sidewalk at the end, a very NOLA way to have a party with a second line-type parade led by the show’s co-host (and at one point show-stopper performer) Big Freedia.
Earlier, the night was filled with a back-and-forth concert between two of the best voices in the South, Kam Franklin of The Suffers and Tank Ball.
The city also got a treat onstage in the form of Trae Tha Truth, Fat Tony, Lil Keke and Paul Wall, who all performed short solo sets to bless the Houston portion of SoundClash.
In the end, there didn’t need to be a winner, it was a moment of music that really brought two cultures together. The New Orleans stage closed it out with the commanding bounce track “Big,” which features Big Freedia and Tank and the Bangas.
Check out the slideshow above to see some of the action on stage during the “Queens of Gulf Coast Soul” face-off.
