Review | The Effortless Chemistry of Lake Street Dive

A Contagious Sense of Delight Fills the Santa Barbara Bowl

Lake Street Dive, Santa Barbara Bowl, June 28, 2025 | Photo: Carl Perry

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Lake Street Dive. It was at the Hotel Cafe in 2013; my dad’s friend recommended we see this talented group of musicians, formed at the New England Conservatory in Boston in 2004. Melding Motown, jazz, pop, and rock, the band’s sheer talent makes what seems like a confusing mixture of genres into an easy, groovy and addictive sound. It’s their sound and their entrancing performances that hooked me from the start and had me eight shows and 12 years later at the Santa Barbara Bowl still next to my dad, and still smiling and dancing like I’d discovered their magic for the first time. As the soulful keyboardist and vocalist Akie Bermis croons in his electric-piano infused cover of the Shania Twain hit, they’re “Still the One.” They’re still the one band I’ve seen the most times, and after their invigorating show on Saturday night, I’m already planning my next fix.

Playing with effortless chemistry for over two decades and transferring a contagious sense of delight with every epic bass solo or vocal riff, the band certainly lives up to their eighth studio album’s title Good Together.

Opening the set with hits like the ridiculously sing-alongable “Hypotheticals,” the band’s earworm of a sound is undeniable. Rachael Price’s disarmingly strong and always on pitch vocals, stand-up bassist Bridget Kearney’s impeccable rhythm and buoyant spirit, drummer Mike Calabrese’s steady yet entrancing drumming, and guitarist James Cornelison’s rocking guitar leave no room for criticism.

Decked out in all white and dancing through every note — all while playing saxophone, trombone and trumpet — the Huntertones were a perfect match for Lake Street. The collaboration showcased a level of joy-filled musicianship and genuinely excellent vibes that only a group with an album titled Fun Machine could live up to. The Huntertones’s sweet New Orleans-style horns opening to “Call Off Your Dogs” made this disco-funky favorite somehow even more special. The neon rainbow backdrop, sunny Santa Barbara night, bright conga percussion and light-hearted tracks like the boppable “Side Pony,” imbued the show with the easy breezy energy of a tropical vacation. However, their sharp musical chops honed in Brooklyn nightclubs showed clearly that this crew hasn’t lost their edge.

The band’s range is limitless, moving from heartfelt ballads like the wistful stunner “Twenty-Five” to dance-heavy jams like the ecstatic “Party on the Roof.”

With a set list that spanned the decades, the band of course included the song that put them on the map, a cover of The Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.” Dripping in sultry vocals and buttery bass lines, their jazzy take on this classic had the crowd belting along to the tight-knit group gathered centerstage in close formation. It was that same wordless chemistry I witnessed in that small Hotel Cafe show years ago. Their reach is obviously wider, but their ability to connect with the audience on a personal level is as strong as it’s ever been.