Article and Photos by Andrés Alvarado

“Cool” can be an overused word. Every day we apply and reply to inquiries by implementing this widely accepted slang term. However, if one were to stop and think, when does that descriptor actually pertain? Our guess is much less than one would think. Nonetheless, we know this, when Fantastic Negrito and his band-mates are in the same room as you — in that moment — you are in the actual presence of cool. Coming around in support of his latest LP, Please Don’t Be Dead, Xavier Dphrepaulezz & company strutted their way to Atlanta’s legendary music locale The Masquerade on a mission to educate his A-town faithful with a lesson on musical coolness.

Aesthetically, Fantastic Negrito is a slender cat with an outlandish hairdo and bitchin’ attire. Artistically, the man smoothly mixes funk, R&B, blues, and classic rock-n-roll to create a delicious melodic jambalaya. Fantastic Negrito is a an ardent student of music and its components — and it shows through his live pageantry. Performing to a packed club, Negrito and his gang wander far and wide about his discography. The setting is rather intimate, yet the feeling of sheer joy expands greatly throughout. Fans embraced the deep-cuts, and chorused along to the bigger hits like “About A Bird” and “Plastic Hamburgers.”

Overall, the tunes are tight and the general vibe is groovy-contagious. Negrito is not only a virtuoso on that six-string Epiphone Masterbilt Zenith, but additionally carries a ton of energy and is light on his feet. Truth be told, this Grammy-winning maestro deserves to perform on the biggest stages across the country — he is that good. If this dude is rolling into your town, do yourself a huge favor and go check it out. You can thank us later. Cheers!