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This article originally appeared on the Bridgetown Sound.

“You’re in for a treat” I heard the doorman say on my way down to the basement of the Goodfoot.  And boy did I know and was I ready. .  It was refreshing to see that this band had left a lingering legacy at a venue known for having some of the best instrumentalists in the country.  Saturday night marked my third time being treated by the swinging sounds of the Chicago Afrobeat Project, but the first time to see them outside of the Midwest.  More importantly however, it was my first time hearing songs on their upcoming album, “Nyash Up” which will be released in August.

As we grab our seats before the band started, we were joined by a friendly couple that were also feeding off of the positive energy and good vibes that only the Goodfoot can produce so consistently.  After a quick, random conversation about all things weird, we hear the baritone sax bust into a riff and the rest of the band join in on the second measure.  The concert had started and moved as gracefully in the first 5 minutes as it did in the last 5.

Being that they are a heavy instrumentalist band with limited singing, they space their songs out for about ten to fifteen minutes each to give everyone a chance to chime in with a solo.  And CAbP had plenty to give the audience with these leads.   The alto sax was smooth and sexy while the baritone came in and roughed it up a bit.  The drum solos were on John Bonham’s level and the organ player was very traditional with respect to any band that played prior to Woodstock.  But the guitarist was what made things unique, due to the grungy southern rock he added to the show.  Also, the MC was the coolest person I’ve ever seen.

They played two sets with about a fifteen minute breather/smoke break, and all in all played for about two and a half hours.  Their first set included a tad bit slower tunes but recognizable sing-alongs where their African base sound thrives.  Most notable the song “I’d go to the doctor but I’m uninsured.”  The second set was prime time.  It began with a Radiohead and KRS one mash up of the song “Just Like That.”  Then they topped things off with their funkiest and most dance inducing grooves “Jukuba” and “Taking Bush.”  These are fun filled songs that put you in the mood to swing dance.  When it came time to leave, I exited the Goodfoot barely able to move my legs and wondering if I just had sex.

So if that’s how you feel after leaving a show then definitely be on the lookout for the Chicago Afrobeat Project in the future.

This article originally appeared on The Selective Echo.

Editor’s Note: Aaron Wolcott provides a concise look at three musical headliners who will send Utah Arts Festival visitors out on some fine notes to close out the 2012 four-day event.

Chicago Afrobeat Project, 8:30 p.m., Amphitheater Stage

A group with its roots in the Chicago loft party scene and the innovative sounds of Fela Kuti’s Nigerian Afrobeat movement, The Chicago Afrobeat Project is an eight-piece ensemble whose signature style blends elements of jazz, funk, hip hop and rock. Afrobeat is a sound you immediately recognize, although you may not have heard the name put to it.

Afrobeat touchstones include Roy Ayers’ score for the blaxploitation film ‘Coffy’ and countless other film scores of a similar vein. Chicago Afrobeat’s songs are meditations – perfectly built Afrobeat journeys with each turn a pleasant and interesting surprise.

Blue Highway, 9:45 p.m., Festival Stage

Blue Highway is a bluegrass supergroup if ever there was one: Grammy nominated and Dove Award recipients. Blue Highway comprises five unquestionably mind-boggling musicians with their origins in the likes of Alison Krauss & Union Station and the Cox Family. From lush harmonies to back country ballads, Tim Stafford has a voice that hits the sweet spot of that mournful achy tone (regardless of whether the song is joyful or not) and that is the trademark of the bluegrass sound.

Blue Highway members are genuine storytellers and masters of a poignant turn of phrase. Expect some tricky pickin’ and rock solid songwriting. They’re one hell of a band.

The Pimps of Joytime, 10 p.m., Amphitheater Stage

A great festival send-off will feature smooth-talking funk proselytisers The Pimps of Joytime, a funk group for the year 2012 bringing the message of the ‘Janxta Funk!,’ an album possessing the preternatural ability to inspire a mood-lit groove party in any setting the moment it comes through the air.

This is electro funk with a Latin flair and some solid hip-hop thrown into the mix which becomes a tasty, contemporary and eclectic funk perfectly catered to the modern ear. With its growing fanbase PJT seems poised to take over the airwaves but be warned: festival goers who attend the PJT show are required by law to get up and bust a move.