This San Diego funk and soul-jazz unit grew out of sessions with DJ Greyboy, blending boogaloo swing, organ grit, and streetwise grooves.

San Diego soul-jazz lineage

Across decades, they have tightened a voice where tenor sax shouts, guitar scratches in the pocket, and vintage keys carry the hook.

Crate-diggers meet dancers

Expect a dance-first set that might slide from Como De Allstars into A Town Called Earth, tag Cissy Strut, and circle back to West Coast Boogaloo. Crowds tend to be crate-diggers, local players, and dancers, with Blue Note tees, scuffed boots, and folks who cheer when the Leslie spins up. One neat footnote: West Coast Boogaloo was cut live to tape with Fred Wesley, which explains the raw snap you hear on stage. Another: guitarist Michael Andrews also scores films, and that ear for melody shows when the band stretches a theme. I am inferring the possible songs and production moves from recent patterns, so details may shift on the night.

Vinyl Minds and Two-Step Time: The Greyboy Allstars Crowd Code

The scene skews mixed-age and music-first, with record-store tees, patterned button-downs, and worn sneakers built for movement.

Style cues from soul-jazz basements

People clap on two and four, shout after tidy drum fills, and save the long hollers for the final sax chorus.

Shared rituals, low drama

You will spot a few folks comparing pressings at the merch table, especially if there is a fresh Como De Allstars vinyl run or a screen-printed poster. Dancers post up near the subs, while note-watchers hang by the keys to watch drawbar moves and foot pedal work. Call-and-response breaks are simple and friendly, more about pulse than chants. Fashion nods lean to late 60s club styles, but the vibe stays relaxed and local rather than costume-heavy. Between sets, people trade favorite club residencies and swap stories of past New Orleans trips, then slide right back to the groove when the lights dip.

Deep Pockets, Sharp Ears: The Greyboy Allstars' Soundcraft

Vocals appear sparingly, so the music speaks through tenor lines, clipped guitar, and a greasy organ bed.

Pocket first, pyrotechnics later

Arrangements usually state a short theme twice, then open a mid-length solo section before returning to a tighter outro.

Small choices, big feel

The rhythm team favors a behind-the-beat feel, letting bass and drums make space so sax and organ can bite. On brighter tunes the guitarist leans on clean, small-amp grind, while the organist toggles between warm Leslie swirls and percussive clav stabs. A subtle habit: they often flip into a boogaloo shuffle for a chorus, changing the kick pattern and lifting the room without raising volume. You may also hear the organ double the bass during shout sections, which thickens the groove and frames the soloist. Lights tend to stay amber and soft, letting your ears lock onto the pocket rather than big cues.

Kindred Grooves: The Greyboy Allstars' Extended Family

If you like Galactic, you will hear the same horn-forward funk and second-line bounce, though this band leans more into boogaloo swing than brass-driven anthems.

For fans of groove-first bands

Fans of Lettuce overlap because both chase deep-pocket instrumentals where clavinet, horns, and syncopated drums do the talking.

Where styles intersect, not collide

The clean, melodic soloing and tight pocket also connects to Soulive, especially when organ and guitar trade short, singing phrases. UK groove hounds who follow The New Mastersounds will find a similar love of concise riffs and vintage tones, just with a looser West Coast swagger. And listeners who track Karl Denson's Tiny Universe will recognize the same sax bark and dance-minded arrangements, framed here with a more old-school soul-jazz palette. All of these groups balance jam-length exploration with song-first structure, which keeps dancers happy and headphone listeners engaged. If those names rotate in your playlists, this show sits comfortably in the middle lane between classic soul jazz and modern funk.