A road trip with kota the friend
The Blue Note Jazz Club is historically known for its legendary sets by some of the best artists in history. Ray Charles cemented himself in history while performing there, and even modern greats like Saba have put on amazing shows. Since the venue regularly hosts outstanding performances, it was expected that someone as talented as Kota the Friend would take the stage at Blue Note Jazz Club. After performing two shows a day for two days straight, the Brooklyn native held his final show on the night of December 3rd. If there is one thing for sure about that show, it is that the full house of fans will never forget it.
The mood was set. Everything, from the lighting to the intimate seating arrangement, was in place, but not a soul in the building was ready for the unforgettable experience that was about to unfold. There was no opener; he was introduced and went straight into it with his band after walking on stage. He followed his opening song with a quick freestyle, which he explained was only written a week ago. It was apparent very soon after that staying in their seats felt more and more difficult with how good the music was.
During a break, Kota took a moment to shout out to the Yankees fans in the building, despite being a Mets fan himself. The crowd was welcome in the space Kota created to enjoy the music. Before performing “SOHO HOUSE,” Kota shouted out Soho House and Dumbo House as places where he feels comfortable and loves to visit. At this point, it became clear that Kota’s goal was to take us around the country with his music. The next stop was the “Pacific North West” or “PNW,” which he described as awesome and used as the title for his next song. Giving a little backstory, Kota explained that the song began as an ode to the region and his love for all four seasons, but eventually became a song about a girl, and ultimately about himself—specifically, loving himself all year round.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the show was just how amazing the band was performing while Kota was rapping. Everyone was on perfect timing, especially the violinist, Phear None, whom my neighbor at the table couldn't stop obsessing over.
The next song on our USA road trip was California, with the song called “Long Beach”. Arguably, being his most well-known song, the entire room was singing word for word with Kota. The trip around the country takes a break for Kota to talk about his son and his want to be the best man he can be, not just for himself but for his son, both as a father and as an example.
Kota also had a huge surprise for the crowd when he pulled out his guitar, which wasn't a usual occurrence at any of the previous shows. He spoke about playing in high school and his introduction to music in the 3rd grade via the trumpet. He explained how he felt like he was leaving the instruments behind in his career and how that, in turn, felt like leaving a part of himself behind. He also spoke about how he was going to make an effort to bring them with him more in his career to help himself feel complete.
His last song brought us back to where everything started for him, Brooklyn, New York. “I am Bedstuy, I am East New York, I am the Brooklyn Bridge, but not the Manhattan bridge,” Kota joked about while on stage. Towards the end of the song, he brought up a bunch of local Brooklyn artists he called friends to do free styles while the band kept the song going. That was followed by what I can only describe as a breathtaking Jazz Breakdown, where every one of the band members got a solo to show the room how amazing they were.
By the time the lights dropped and the band played their last notes, it was clear Kota didn’t just do a show at the Blue Note, but stamped his moment in its history. He took the whole room on a trip, opened up about his life, his growth, and his city, all while keeping the vibe real and intimate. That final jazz breakdown? Different. Everyone in there knew they’d just witnessed something special, something you can’t fake. Kota made the Blue Note feel like Brooklyn for a night, and nobody walked out the same.
