AZTEC SUN and STOOP KIDS

Before the first steady rumble of the drums gives way to hard-hitting big-brass lines, before the rich warmth of the organ maneuvers its way around the backup singers’ swingin’ hips, before the “GottaHaveIt” and “GimmeDatGudSh*t” call and response stirs up an inescapable itch to move and groove, there is one single moment of silence.

And then the lights come up and the show begins.

With a fiery-hot, funky beat that echoes with the nostalgia of neo-soul and just enough grit to keep you hip thrustin’ and toe tappin’, Washington D.C.’s Aztec Sun’s (AZS) voltaic performances are the result of the band’s infectious melodies and the rare dynamism of the musicians creating them.