Thee Sacred Souls is for lovers; lead singer Josh Lane made this clear very early on in the bands’ Friday afternoon ACL set at Honda Stage.
He makes up one-third of the group, along with drummer Alex Garcia and bassist Sal Samino. The trio’s sound, self-defined as “Southern California sweet soul,” was characterized by crooning vocal harmonies and the silky instrumentals of its large backing band. They also welcomed three local jazz musicians to layer on the funk sound.
Lane’s performance made it hard not to feel joyful as you watched him skip around the stage, interacting with his musicians and backup vocalists as he serenaded the crowd with his sweet-like-honey voice. He never stood still, often running down the catwalk or joining fans at the barricade to get closer to the audience
It was apparent that this band is used to intimate shows, and they did a wonderful job of bringing the same energy to a large festival.
The band stunned with its most popular songs, “Will I See You Again?” and “Can I Call You Rose?” and the audience sang along enthusiastically. “Running” was a standout performance because Lane unexpectedly hopped into the audience and sprinted through the crowd while singing the chorus. Even while constantly on the move, the frontman’s voice never let out.