It’s Fat Tuesday here in Berkeley, California, on 17 February, and the Bay Area has a special musical treat on the calendar with Cyril Neville at the Freight. A living legend in the New Orleans music scene, dating back to his time with bands like the Meters and the Neville Brothers, the 77-year-old singer-songwriter known as “the Uptown Ruler” still has his mojo working.
“This is really the Magical Musical Medicine For the Soul Tour,” Neville said in a press release, and the delivery of medicinal music for the soul is great news for music fans amidst the turbulent times in this foul year of our lord 2026. The tour finds Neville backed by his son’s group, Omari Neville and the Fuel. There’s also a powerhouse opening act: King Youngblood, an alt-rock/Afropunk band led by Cyril’s 26-year-old nephew, Cameron Lavi-Jones.
“Touring with King Youngblood is perfect because my roots are just as much in rock as they are in the funky soul sound of the Neville Brothers, the Meters, the Uptown Rulers and of course the Wild Tchoupitoulas,” Cyril added.
Lavi-Jones elaborated on the origins of the tour: “Cyril, Omari and I wrote a song called ‘Soul Junction’ at Black and Loud Fest Seattle 2025. It was incredible; our voices blended so well; the energy was pure magic. After that, we three just said more of this, please!” Lavi-Jones has explained that he co-founded the Black and Loud Festival to promote black-fronted bands, his love of hard rock music, and his desire not to be musically pigeonholed by race.
When King Youngblood hit the stage at 8.00 pm, it didn’t take long to see that the band’s Seattle roots were proudly on display in their powerful sound. A song titled “Yakubian Antics” features wicked riffage from Lavi-Jones on guitar, while he sings of how the “system’s getting sick” and people are “letting injustices happen while they play make believe…” The quartet with bassist Samy Garcia, drummer Paul Stoot, and cellist Chet Peterson rocked hard throughout the set, which might not quite be what many of the older fans present to see Cyril Neville expected.
Yet while much of the audience remains seated, the dance floor sections on the sides fill in as the group’s compelling sound takes hold of those who dig the alt-rock sound. “What You Know” starts with a cello intro before exploding into a massive groove and urgent vocals, while “Best We Can” is an inspiring rocker with killer riffs and infectious melodies, as the group continues to display a heavy yet mature sound. The comic book imagery on the visual screen features the band members from their own “Afrothunda” comic books, in which they fashion themselves as musical superheroes out to help save the planet (more on that at the end).
Lavi-Jones speaks to a connection between Seattle and New Orleans, and how his Uncle Cyril has been known for speaking truth to power in music. The concept is clearly a part of King Youngblood’s musical DNA as well. That leads to a killer cover of Soundgarden‘s “Black Hole Sun”, which takes on an extra dimension from Peterson’s cello parts.
“The state of the world makes it pretty clear we’ve got some work to do. This song is called ‘Say When'”, Lavi-Jones says as he also welcomes Omari Neville to the stage to join King Youngblood for a hard-hitting song that calls out for social justice against imperialist militarism. It’s been a commanding set from a formidable young band that would seem to be on the verge of a breakthrough. The fact that Cameron Lavi-Jones is related to Cyril Neville is a bonus that seems to have been written in the stars.
After a short set break, Omari Neville and the Fuel hit the stage sans Cyril to get the audience going with upbeat jams on New Orleans classics “Hey Pocky Way” and “Walk on Guilded Splinters”. Omari Jones rocks the drum kit as the band kick the dance party vibe into effect. After about 15 minutes, Cyril Neville joins the festivities with an electrifying presence. The setup feels similar to how John Lee Hooker’s group would come on at 11:45 pm to warm things up before the blues legend would appear at midnight.
“Rock & Roll” is an upbeat number in which the Uptown Ruler reminds everyone that vintage rock ‘n’ roll is indeed part of his musical roots, along with the funk, soul, and blues that won him a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 as a member of the Meters. The title track from the Neville Brothers’ 1989 Yellow Moon album receives an alternate reggae-style arrangement that’s still pretty groovy. Neville commands the stage with tambourine in hand, as he also does on the syncopated funk of “Tipitina”.
Neville introduces the new “Lemonade” as a song about what to do when the proverbial lemons pop up in life, telling the audience, “You’re the captain of your soul… Make lemonade… Don’t let anybody tell you what you can or cannot do.” The upbeat lead single from his impending new album, Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone (due out 17 April), has a classic New Orleans vibe, with a brass-band horn section that boosts the inspiring vocals. There’s a vibrant trumpet solo on the jam, as the Freight gets down with more of the audience getting up and grooving.
The Neville Brothers’ “Tambourine” is another New Orleans-themed party song, in which Neville sings about going to see Mardi Gras, where “the music never ends”. The set’s energy never wanes, and it’s great to see Cyril Neville doing his thing, with son Omari on the drums and a rocking band featuring a horn section and a hot lead guitarist, Gregg Molinario.
The set concludes with a big jam, during which the members of King Youngblood are welcomed back to the stage for a collaboration on the song that Cyril, Omari, and Cameron Lavi-Jones wrote together. “We figured out how to put together the sound of Seattle with the sound of New Orleans,” Lavi-Jones tells the audience, referring to “Soul Junction” as a musical gumbo. The song is a clear winner, blending a hard-rock sound with funky syncopation and bluesy soul for a crowd-pleasing sonic stew. It’s a treat to watch Lavi-Jones and both Nevilles sing the song together, as their voices indeed seem to create a magical harmony.
After the show, Lavi-Jones and Peterson man the King Youngblood merch table while Cyril Neville graciously poses for photos with fans (rare for an artist of his stature). King Youngblood’s two Afrothunda graphic novels are a standout item at the merch table. Afrothunda I: New Tomorrow was released in 2022 and tells the origin tale of how these four musicians came to Earth as infants from another world, similar to the Superman origin story. Yet these heroes discover a different kind of superpower, utilizing their musical abilities to help save the Earth. Afrothunda II: All Of Us Over Our Heads is brand new here in 2026, continuing the saga.
King Youngblood will release a new soundtrack album and audiobook to accompany the second graphic novel, in conjunction with March tour dates that open a run of shows for Truly (a Seattle band featuring original Soundgarden bassist Hiro Yamamoto and Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel). “Making a graphic novel/comic book to go with our music and message allows us to tie in our social justice message with our music in a way people can be entertained and inspired at the same time. Getting to bring all this on tour with one of our favorite Seattle bands, Truly, is beyond cool,” Lavi-Jones says in a press release.
2026 looks to be a big year for both Cyril Neville and King Youngblood, a double bonus for music fans who appreciate artists who use their talents to speak out and inspire social change.
