Toronto roots, new chapter
BADBADNOTGOOD came up in Toronto, blending jazz language with hip-hop rhythm, soul harmony, and a film-score sense of space. The recent turning point is their move from the original quartet after
Matthew Tavares left in 2019, with
Leland Whitty stepping forward across sax, guitar, and keys. Live, the band leans on tough grooves that bloom into open sections where themes return like chapters. Expect anchors like
Time Moves Slow,
Lavender,
Speaking Gently, and
And That, Too. to frame long, patient builds. You see crate diggers comparing matrix numbers and beatmakers watching the kick-snare conversation, while jazz heads nod through the quieter stretches. On
Talk Memory, Brazilian arranger
Arthur Verocai penned the strings, and the group kept analog texture in the chain. Earlier, they backed
Ghostface Killah on
Sour Soul. Their earliest buzz came from one-take practice-room videos that showed the raw chemistry before studios entered the picture. These setlist and production mentions reflect informed expectations rather than inside info.
The BADBADNOTGOOD Scene, Up Close
Quiet focus, loud applause
The crowd skews mixed in age and background, with beatmakers, jazz heads, and indie fans sharing space easily. Style-wise you see relaxed fits, skate shoes, neutral tones, and tote bags that hint at a recent stop at the record shop. People cheer hardest after snare flurries, bass drops, and sax breaks, and quick call-outs on the downbeat punctuate the end of a section. Between songs, chatter leans toward sample sources, mic choices, and which tune was reharmonized, not celebrity talk. Merch usually centers on heavyweight vinyl, minimal typography, and a poster you could shelve like a book spine. During softer pieces like
Time Moves Slow, phones go away and shoulders sway in small arcs, then
And That, Too. brings a patient bounce across the floor. Outside afterward, small groups trade notes about a motif they recognized and which transition hit hardest.
How BADBADNOTGOOD Builds a Room from the Kick Up
Pocket first, colors second
The drums sit deep in the pocket with a dry, muffled snare and round kick, so every riff feels anchored and calm. The bass favors a warm, flatwound tone that outlines simple shapes, then flips to synth when sub-bass weight is needed.
Leland Whitty moves between sax melodies, crunchy guitar voicings, and keys, filling space without crowding the rhythm section. They like to stretch forms:
Lavender often dips to halftime before snapping back, while
Can't Leave the Night can swell from a whisper to a wall. Instead of dense chord maps, they repeat short motifs and change the color around them, which keeps the groove steady while the scene shifts. A small but telling habit is the low-tuned snare with a wallet or towel on it, giving a sampled thud that lets keys and sax sit on top. Visuals tend to be warm washes and slow color fades, keeping focus on how the band shapes dynamics in real time.
Fans of BADBADNOTGOOD Often Find These Live Acts Click
Kindred travelers and shared grooves
Thundercat suits listeners who crave elastic bass lines, soulful chords, and humor threaded through tight musicianship.
Kamasi Washington speaks to fans who favor big melodic statements, long arcs, and room-shaking tenor features. If patient, melody-forward jams are your lane,
Khruangbin floats in similar mid-tempo space with clean guitar and head-nod drums. From the beat scene side,
Flying Lotus brings dense textures and punchy rhythms that mirror how
BADBADNOTGOOD rides a pocket. Their link to rap crossovers also pulls in fans of
Ghostface Killah and
Tyler, the Creator, who show up for groove-first instrumentals. Across these artists, the common threads are tone-rich mixes, strong hooks without lyrics, and sets that value feel over flash.
