Video games and music are easily my two favorite forms of entertainment in the universe. The connection I share can be seen on my face and felt in my soul, so when the two of these mediums meet to form something beautiful it really is a journey for my entire being. The Super Soul Bros. aren’t a new band, nor am I just discovering them, but after listening to them at PAX East again this year and having the chance to chat with Robbie Benson, I want everyone to know who they are. Because you should know who they are.
The Super Soul Bros. are the kind of life-enhancing elixir you concoct when you take a handful of extremely talented musicians with a passion for video games and nerd culture, toss them in a room, and let them simmer. Music is such an essential ingredient to well-crafted video games, and certain songs are ingrained in our brains forever, but the Super Soul Bros. take those memorable melodies and add a funky flair of jazz and the conversational riffing rippling back-and-forth between the musicians adds more depth and emotion to some pieces of music that we are already so attached to.
For the past five years, the Super Soul Bros. have either played at the jam-space rooms at PAX East or busked at the Fangamer booth on the show-floor. While also touring all over the country. We discovered them years ago busking on the showroom floor, and I feel like experiencing them this way is part of what encapsulates who the Super Soul Bros. are. They exist within a space of video games, art, anime, and nerd culture all colliding, revolving around their corner etched out in the heart of the show. They capture the essence of the source material and infuse it with their soul. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of being amongst the chaos of the show-floor and turning a corner to stumble upon deliciously, infectious jams perforating through the air and dancing their way into my eardrums.
Currently, I can’t stop listening to their record Super Soul Bros. Live @ Poor House with both Bomb-omb Battlefield and Chemical Plant Zone on repeat. Around the 1:05 mark when the song changes on Chemical Plant Zone and the build-up pays off, I lose it. Everytime. (I’m actually listening to it right now as I write these words, it’s a fucking jam.)
Seeing them live is how I would recommend encountering them, and they continue to perform all over the country. You can look for a current list of tour dates on their website, Twitter, or Facebook page. If you’re not able to make it to any venues, your next best bet is to listen to what they have to offer on their bandcamp page. Well, you should be checking out their music anyways, but seeing them live is ideal.
It amazes me that they have yet to play the main stage during one of the Friday or Saturday night concert series at PAX East. Not knocking any of the other talented musicians who we’ve seen perform, but the Super Soul Bros. can chop it up with the best of the best and their library of covers is insane; spanning the tunes of favorites like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Sonic The Hedgehog to cult-classic tunes from Undertale, Toe-Jam and Earl, and Mother (Earthbound).
So if you took the time to read through this article, listened to some of the jams that Super Soul Bros. has put out there for you, why not take the time to tell PAX East to get them on that main stage! Either mention it in your post-PAX survey that got sent out to you or just e-mail them directly, pax_questions@paxsite.com. Or tweet at them here.
Currently working out the dates to get the Super Soul Bros. on the podcast, so be on the lookout for that some time in April. Until then, I am going to get through my post-PAX blues with a little music from the Super Soul Bros.!
Pass The Controller 