The Motet: 7-pieces, 7 albums + The Deadlocks

(this piece was published by Planet JH Weekly)Feel-good Afrobeat, funk, disco and soul, The Motet has come to Jackson several times over the last ten years, though the most recent incarnation of the band has grown into it’s tightest touring unit yet. Once a revolving cast of crushing Colorado players, drummer Dave Watts has steered the project through a commitment to push the sonic envelope. With the release of The Motet’s seventh album, Watts felt it necessary to call it simply The Motet, a reflection that the group has finally become what it has striven to be throughout its existence. The band is a seven-piece including a two-piece horn section, drawing inspiration from some of the bands they have chosen for Halloween costume performances over the years—Parliament Funkadelic, Earth Wind and Fire, Tower of Power, and Jamiroquai.Opening this show is The Deadlocks, an authentic Jackson-grown tribute to The Grateful Dead. The band is celebrating its 5th anniversary this week, including an additional performance for Jerry Garcia’s birthday (9 p.m. Friday at Pink Garter Theatre; $7). Music on Main: The Motet with The Deadlocks, 6 p.m. Thursday at Victor City Park. Free, all-ages. TetonValleyFoundation.org.