VICTOR, Idaho — If you encountered a whiff of cumbia, reggae, salsa, Afro-beat, and funk from San Diego’s B-Side Players in the mid-2000s at the Knotty Pine, you’ve probably returned to the scene of the groove over the years. The culturally rich dance-instigating unit is celebrating thirty years as a band, and over two decades of that reign has been accessible, nearly annually, for Teton County music fans. You can catch the nine-piece band this Saturday at the Knotty Pine.
Frontman Karlos Paez is a big part of this band’s reputation as a tight and formidable live ensemble, which also includes a dedicated entourage including guitarist Giovanni Mejia, bass player Gerry Guevara, saxophonist Regan Branch, percussionists Victor Tapia and Luis Cuenca, drummer Ryan Moran, and more. With over a dozen San Diego Music Awards, tours with Ben Harper to Papa Roach, and a determination to stay on the road despite being a large ensemble, B-Side Players are propelled by fierce polyrhythms and an uplifting vocal message emitting unity and consciousness. Whether a returning listener or total newbie, the horn-driven cross-pollinated sound is worth the price of admission.
B-Side Players 30th Anniversary Tour, 10 p.m. Saturday June 15 at the Knotty Pine in Victor. $20. KnottyPineSupperClub.com.
