Zach Deputy - The 5 Spot, Atlanta, GA (3.20.2010)

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Zach Deputy Live at The Electric Company, Utica, NY (12.6.2008)

(Note: Cycle through songs using the back and forward buttons on the media player. Or just let it play...)

I arrived at The 5 Spot unusually late on this Friday evening. I paid my dues and headed inside not really knowing what to expect. The joint was absolutely packed. This was only the third time that I had been inside The 5 Spot, but there were way more people here than at either of the two shows I had seen prior to this one. I head towards the bathroom to empty my bladder and overhear a couple of guys making small talk. “Are you here to see Zach Deputy?” one of them says. “Yeah man, I love this music.” the other responds. “He just has so much…” he pauses for a second and then finds his word, “soul”.

I head out towards the floor to scope things out a bit. People seemed to be generally psyched and anxious to see Zach get started. Although I regretfully missed out on the opening act, Wisebird (Sorry Will!), I was just in time for The Deputy’s appearance. I ran into this Will character hanging out by the merch booth. He plays guitar for Wisebird who had just finished up. Will was a cool dude. I asked him what he thought about Zach… “What’s it like?” I asked. “It’s Zach, I don’t know… he does everything”. He sported a smile and a sort of “you’ll find out soon enough” tone in his voice. “But it’s got soul.”

That was the second time I had heard that. I think to a certain extent, there exists this general belief that using tools like drum machines, digital instruments, heavily affected sounds, or looping systems for example, contribute to the removal of a certain degree of what some call “soul”. Whether this is true or not, one thing is for certain… music that has true soul is hard to come by. It’s sort of an indescribable element that exists in music. It’s hard to quantify it, but when you hear something that has it, you know it right away. The only thing you can really say is that it feels good. It resonates not only with your ears, but with your body, mind and soul too.

I explained to Will why I couldn’t make it in time for his show. Michigan State basketball had just given me a near heart-attack and I was lucky to be alive at all. I think he understood. Shortly thereafter, I ran into another fellow Spartan. Christian had the Block S on his chest even though neither of us realized that the other was wearing any sort of State gear until about 3 minutes into our conversation. There was an instant connection. He was psyched to hear the news of our victory. We shot the shit for a bit and he gave me his thoughts on Zach. “I hate having to describe it to people.” He said. “I don’t want to label him as a one man band, you know what I mean. I think it sort of takes away from what he does.” I think what he was trying to communicate is that you have to experience Zach Deputy for yourself.

After grabbing a beer and making myself comfortable, Zach came to the stage and took his position – surrounded by what looked like enough knobs, controls, pedals, and instruments to fly a small airplane. Christian had been telling me that this was the most gear that he had seen Zach with for a couple of years now. Will pointed out that not too long ago, Zach had an entire van full of equipment stolen from him. “He still doesn’t have everything he wants.” He said. He was explaining to me Zach’s passion for using and experimenting with everything that modern technology has to offer.

The Deputy was a big dude, and as I would soon find out, his musical presence was even bigger. He sported a pair of baggy cargo shorts, flip-flops, and a thick protruding beard. He was absolutely glowing with life. Zach started out the show with a rootsy acoustic tune that had me curious about what came next. Slowly but surely, Deputy began implanting more and more sounds into his performance, using his mouth to create drum breaks and his nylon stringed guitar to command a whole plethora of sounds. With the flick of a switch, Zach was laying down funky baselines, shredding a raw guitar solo, or even conducting an entire strings or horn section with his guitar.

His drum pad and natural knack for beatbox added percussion and foundation to an already groovy sound that had everyone in The 5 Spot moving around in a delightful trance. Zach’s songs start out as something small and just continue to blossom and develop until he looks out at the crowd and feels a connection with them. Only then is he satisfied. If he is receiving the vibe, and the smiles, than he rolls with it. There was this engaging quality in his performance that I have never really experienced before. He was quite literally feeding off of the energy in the crowd. In an interview with Zach on the Music Marauders website, Zach goes into more detail, stating that he loves seeing people groove to his music and allowing them a “release from the day to day grind of life”. And that is really what this music is all about. I listen to it, and I feel good. My soul feels good. And that’s something that is important when choosing the soundtrack of your life.

As I said before, this was my first time seeing Zach Deputy. Unfortunately, my unfamiliarity with his music is preventing me from reporting on any sort of specific set-list. And even more unfortunately, I didn’t see anyone taping the show for addition to the Archive on this evening (if anyone is reading this and has access to this show's set-list, drop a comment or shoot me an email. I would love to see what was played). Towards the end of the show, Zach brought out the boys from Wisebird and the gang went absolutely crazy. This was the last stop for the collaboration between Wisebird and Zach Deputy, and they really ended it on a high note. The drums, bass, keys, and my boy Will commanding the rhythm guitar with a glass slide on his pinky finger made for a true brew of southern comfort and warm jammy tunes. Even with a band behind him though, Zach’s stage presence was undeniable. Fans' attention just gravitated naturally towards him. The electric guitar in his hands seemed dwarfed in comparison to The Deputy’s sheer size and presence. He moved across the guitar neck with ease; passion seemed to be oozing out his pores as he shredded with an enormous smile on his face. He looked to the Wisebirds for confirmation that they were INDEED jamming. “He’s got a really good ear too”, Will was saying to me. “When we are jamming… he just always knows which notes to play.” I certainly took note of these improvisation skills. But even more impressive was his timing and chops; essential in making a performance such as this work. Did I mention Zach's unbelievable vocal range? This guy was hittin' MJ-like notes the entire night.

“Island-infused drum & bass. Gospel ninja soul.” This is the phrase underlining Zach Deputy’s name on his main website. I liked this quite a bit. Island infused with hints of calypso, reggae, and world music; Drum and bass as in dancehall, hip-hop, beatbox and the most funky and groovy of all bass-lines; Gospel as in sitting inside that church where everyone in the house is up out of their pews, grooving around in their Sunday’s best while the choir belts the soul, rhythm and blues, and Motown tunes that not one of us have the ability to deny; Ninja as in the aggressive, fluid, and explosive forces behind his music; And soul, as in mind, body, and soul. Organic, roots rock. My vote? Zach Deputy for Sheriff.