Each time he steps on stage, Henry Roland of the one-man funk band Henry + the Invisibles sets out to put on a party. On Saturday, February 18 at Triple Crown, a party would have been an understatement. The 35 year-old “mugician” packed the house with an extremely diverse crowd who didn’t hesitate to get their groove on. Glow sticks, a bear hat, and a conga line started by fans were just a few of the entertaining additions to the one-man band’s performance as he kept everyone engaged throughout the night.

The one-man project of Henry + the Invisibles started when Roland was forced to remove the members of his previous band, and still had shows booked. At that time an acoustic guitar, bass, and water jug were the only instruments he juggled around on stage. He said he soon decided he needed to “shake the room” a little more and eventually incorporated a keyboard and electronic drum set into the loop and made his sets more entertaining. He has since put out a 6-track EP, Onemanphunkband, and the single, “Take It 2 the Tippy”. Roland played in bands of many different genres including reggae and salsa, but he gravitates to funk because he said it’s what makes him happy and makes people smile. Aside from the musical influences of Prince, James Brown, and Funkadelic, he is also influenced by the arts in general and his fans. “I eat, sleep, breath funk,” Roland said. “Music has a jovial element to it, and I like to create an environment for people to have fun.”

Thanks to his father’s record collection and his existence during the funkiest decade of the 21^st century, Roland’s passion for music began when he was only four. Music “took off and took over” at the age of 14 when he set out from San Antonio to Austin, Texas and began experimenting with different collaborative projects. Among them was a 12-piece funk band that not only sold out the House of Blues, but also performed at the Olympics. When the band began falling apart, he ventured to New York where he spent the next ten years involved in the northern music scene. “I fell in love with the city and hung out a lot longer than I planned,” he said. Luckily for Texas, the one act sensation moved back and has since continued to spread his passion for funk and his love for the positive environment created by his music. His talent has led him to play for many great artists such as: Lauryn Hill, Macy O’Parker, Peanut Butter Wolf and Ghostland Observatory.

 

Henry + the Invisibles will be releasing new material at the end of this month, an EP in April and a full-length album by this summer. Roland also has plans to producing a film in the near future. “You will be seeing a lot of me within the next year,” he said. “I want to put out as much art as possible for the world.” Roland’s genuity and ability to correlate his personality and his music are certainly some of his strengths as an artist. “I’ve been told that every show I put on is more than 100%,” he said. “I believe in my heart that I’ve never gone into a show not wanting to be there.” He has no doubt that as an artist it’s important to stay true to who you are. “Be believable, if not completely authentic,” he said.

-Andrea Carr

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