Written by Darren de Leon

If you thought the Souldies scene was thick with oversized khakis and Pendletons, put that stereotype to bed, because it was evident with the crowd that gathered for Bobby Oroza’s final U.S. tour stop. The crowd was a mix of both young and old, soul children of all colors, cholos and cholas, and many fathers and mothers on date nights. Local band and Big Crown artist, Brainstory threw a gigantic shout out to Rialto and the Inland Empire, and then laid down their solid groove that sprinkles in everything from El Chicano, Pablo Cruise, and their unique dub psychedelic soul. The biggest surprise came when they reappeared as the backup band for Finnish crooner and label mate, Bobby Oroza.

Oroza, whose Big Crown 2022 release Get On the Otherside continues to win many over with his sophisticated musical influences. But the real payoff is the smooth and quiet passion he brings to the stage as a slim and sharply styled presence.  After a lengthy bluesy guitar solo in his blues tinged ballad In Love, he embarrassingly apologized for “getting carried away.” He took the crowd into the intimate accusations of a classic love push and pull song Soon Everyone Will Know and worked the crowd into a slow sweaty heat as he crooned the final directive “Be gone. Be gone. Be gone.” Oroza then addressed the crowd’s desires “Yes, please make love to my music.’ As people filed out, it was clear that Oroza had set the mood for the crowd as they exited the crowd with some lovin’ on their mind.