On Nov. 21, an adoring audience gathered at Tipitina’s to see New Orleans rock and soul group The Revivalists, for the second performance of their two-night stay at Tipitina’s. The band had recently been on tour for their newest album, “Men Amongst Mountains.”

Tank and the Bangas opened the show with their blend of power-pop, hip-hop and soul. The sax-driven band, led by singer and rapper Terriona “Tank” Ball had the audience grooving to songs like “Walmart,” with lyrics detailing what kind of man one might find, “on aisle four.” Ball seemed to channel Nicki Minaj a little with the odd assortment of voices she lent to each song, but musically The Bangas had more in common with a ’70s funk band.  Especially interesting were the covers the band sprinkled into their set.  Bits of Aerosmith’s, “Dream On,” Kings of Leon’s, “Use Somebody,” and even the “Rugrats” theme were played between the band’s original songs and only added to the quirky image the band embraces.  

The Revivalists kicked off their set with a double dose of funk. The band opened with the old favorite “Concrete (Fish Out Of Water),” which ended in an extended jam with solos by pedal steel guitarist Ed Williams and saxophonist Rob Ingraham. This was immediately followed up with the disco-tinged “Wish I Knew You.” Lead vocalist David Shaw seemed to be everywhere at once as soon as he took the stage, sometimes riffing on rhythm guitar and sometimes leaping down into the pit with the mic to get as close to the audience as possible.

The band relied heavily on their new material throughout the set, which proved to be a wise choice. While “Men Amongst Mountains” has only been out for about four months, fans seemed to be able to sing every word of songs like “Stand Up,” which was taken to anthemic proportions in the packed venue.

As The Revivalists’ set continued, the band seemed to cool off, progressing from the energetic funk sound they started with into some of their slower material. Songs like, “Gold to Glass,” and “It Was A Sin” seemed somber, yet managed to create an intimate atmosphere in the crowded venue. These songs’ strong, hook-driven choruses translated well to the live setting and kept the audience singing along enthusiastically, even though they’d been singing along since the first note.

The night ended with the band returning for not one, but two spectacular encores. For the first, Shaw jumped over the barriers and sat down in the midst of his fans, encouraging the audiences to kneel down with him as he delivered a stripped down version of “King of What,” backed only by Zack Feinberg on acoustic guitar and others band members singing the harmonies.  The full band then proceeded to return to the stage to deliver the fan-favorite, “Soulfight,” which featured dueling guitar solos between Feinberg and guest guitarist Pete Murano of Trombone Shorty’s group, Orleans Avenue.  

Even after the first encore, the crowd continued to chant for one more song. “I guess we could play one more,” Shaw said, as the band launched into a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” While the band had hinted leading up to the show that they might throw in some songs they learned for their Halloween Prince cover show, it was still a surprise just to see The Revivalists pull off one of rock n’ roll’s most classic songs. While the song’s energy didn’t quite top the all-out jam session of “Soulfight,” it still made for an impressive closer to a concert that was overall solid and memorable.