Cyril Neville Kicks Off Free Steamboat Square Concert Series

Cyril Neville walked into Steamboat Square with two pairs of dancing shoes in mind. He told locals Friday’s free concert isn’t about the applause. It’s a calling to heal. The Steamboat Mountain Concert Series kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with his set. He’ll share the stage with his son Omari’s band. The event is free. It happens right in town.

Cyril brings decades of New Orleans funk, jazz, soul and rock to the Western Slope. He’s one of the youngest Neville Brothers. He recorded with Bob Dylan and Jimmy Buffet. Two Grammys sit in his case, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. The awards don’t drive him right now. He’s focused on writing and performing with Omari.

The Steamboat Pilot reported Cyril’s remarks before the stage went up. “Come ready to let your hair down and if you can’t let it down, take it off,” he said. He expects Steamboat crowds to rock out. Locals here appreciate the music. They don’t just listen. They move with it. As an ambassador of New Orleans culture, Cyril sees this town as a place where people don’t hesitate to get into the groove.

Friday’s set starts at 7:30 p.m. The stage sits in Steamboat Square. Folks around here know how to handle a live show. They don’t sit still. They bring their own energy.

Omari plays drums. He’s been on stage since he was five years old. Cyril watched him perform when he was a teenager. “I can’t believe that I get to do this,” Omari said. He compared Friday’s lineup to his uncles and father sharing a stage. “We’re supposed to keep doing it together…It’s a beautiful thing.” Cyril gets inspired by walking down the street, but his biggest inspiration sits behind the drum kit. “Omari and his band have all grown into really seasoned New Orleans musicians,” Cyril said. “I think I’m very lucky in that sense to have that kind of energy behind me on stage every night.”

The band calls their style “Funkalicious.” Cyril says they’re the keepers of Uptown Funk. The music heals through joy and positivity. Omari watches the audience find happiness in his rhythms and feels it himself. He sheds his ego to land a groove or create a new sound. Open mind and open heart do the work. Cyril says that positive energy crosses over to the crowd. “The most beautiful part” of a live show is the emotional connection between musician and audience, he said.

Steamboat residents get a free concert on their own turf. No ticket booth. Just open space and a stage. The music stays rooted in New Orleans but lands hard here on the Slope. Cyril brings the groove. Omari keeps the beat. The connection does the rest.