Tweed Funk Provides the Thump for Shorewood Events

Tweed Funk, anchored by vocalist Joseph “Smokey” Holman and guitarist JD Optekar, is quickly becoming a staple in Shorewood and beyond.

Entering the blues, jazz and funk scene in late 2010, and ever since frequenting Shorewood music venues, the group recently released its sophomore album  “Love Is,” featuring musicianship and energy that the group says mimics its stage presence.

“Some people felt that from the things they had heard about our high-energy shows, that it didn’t reflect on the last CD, so we sought a remedy,” Holman said.

The solution? The addition of live horns.

“And, we hit it on the head," Holman continued. "There’s nothing like live horns.”

Since its inception, Tweed Funk has played the , and will again this year on Aug. 15. The five-man band will also play Wednesday as part of , for the second year.

Also, last winter Optekar donated a performance during event, organized by SEED (Supporters of Excellence in Educational Development) as a fundraiser for local schools.

Optekar, a Shorewood resident, and Holman, a protégé of legendary soul artist Curtis Mayfield, said they played in different bands off and on for years before forming Tweed Funk.

As a child, Holman, known for the purple suit he often sports during live performances, found his craft singing in church, and while he “had a friend who taught me harmony in the bathroom at school." Optekar said he didn't pick up an instrument until he finished college.

And as the story goes, Optekar met drummer Marcus Gibbons and Holman at a blues jam session, and approached them about a project.

"I thought, wow, if I ever have a chance, I'd like to play with these guys, because they're really talented," Optekar said.

“It’s just been a climb since then,” Holman said.

Tweed Funk molded its own sound, Optekar said.

"It's not as refined and finished as that Motown soul, but more energy, more feeling," Optekar said. "I mean, Smokey can sing sweet soulful stuff, but can also dig down deep."

They played some gigs together, picking up bassist and vocalist Eric Madunic along the way, before recording their first album "Bringin' It" in early 2011.

The group won the 2012 Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) award for R&B/Soul Artist of the Year, and Holman was nominated for a 2012 WAMI for Best Male Vocalist. In 2011, the band was nominated for a WAMI for New Artist of the Year.

In addition, the group represented the Grafton Blues Association at the 2012 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. While competing in the challenge, Optekar said the group laid down a couple tracks and finished the songwriting when they returned to the Milwaukee area.

Since its release this spring, the new album has been aired on nearly 130 stations across the world, Optekar estimated.

"The album has been hot," he said.