Downtown Staunton heard a new sound April 24th as local buisness Shanti Yoga of West Beverly Street invited Jdavyd Williams and the Basement Bhaktis to perform. This Charlottesville band mixes the sound of Kirtan chant with modern rock elements creating a unique sound experience.
The band consists of lead singer Jdavyd Williams, and the Basement Bhaktis, musicians Arcadia Williams, Patrick Allen, Tom Lynch, and Marshal Cowden. Williams having fronted an alternative band previously brings the sounds of postpunk rythms and electronic synthesizers together with ancient chants in an ecstatic experience. Inspried by the work of such muscians as "Prince" and Depeche Mode he felt the call to mix the chants and sounds he heard at Mahashivacatri at Yogaville. He released his first album in August of 2009 entitled "Waves" that is now available via his personal website.
"I am not performing for you, I am performing with you" Williams said of the band's live performance's, while audience members had their own comments.
"It was my first time taking the kids. I like to expose them to different spiritual and musical things.I especially liked the natural movement to loving. joyful energy." said Anya Shepelavey, whose daughters Zina and Maya Parker, 2 and 5 years old respectively, had started a crowd as they began to dance to the music.Jennifer Kitchen"s daughter Sydney was among the dancing crowd, spinning happily in time to the rythm.
"I loved it!" Kitchen said, "Sydney must have loved it as well, I've never seen her dance so before!" Jessi Curtis, a Shanti regular, spoke on how she felt about Williams after the show.
"He is an amazing person." The performance was received with a mix of applauds and dancing, and many folks leaving left with similar opinions. The mixed reactions seemed only fitting to a sound so mixed, but well fitted
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