Made up of the brothers Dylan, Daniel, Jesse and Johnny, KONGOS are a South African rock band who gained recognition after their song “Come With Me Now” became a smash hit on Billboard’s Alternative charts and was used in a trailer for the film Holy Motors. All four members of the band are sons of the singer John Kongos, who is best known for his 1971 glam rock hit “He’s Gonna Step On You Again”.

The KONGOS made their way into Jacksonville to Play at the Rock on the River 5,..Rock on the River is a premier Free show that is but on by the Rock 102.9 Jacksonville rock alternative radio station. It is knows as the best free shows i the state.

With a some of the top bands on the radio today, Fitz and The Tantrums, Kongos, Sleeper Agent, Wild Cub, Orwells, Parkridge and On the Heels of Titans.This was sure to be on hell of a show…and they all did not disappoint.

Come With Me Now is the rock song of the summer.

Or, at the very least, it’s the most original. You’d be hard-pressed to find another band quite like Kongos, four shaggy South African brothers from Arizona who trade in accordion-tinged swamp rock.

Performing on a deliberately drawn-in stage — the drum kit sat a mere six feet from the edge — KONGOS genre-hopped with abandon, swerving coolly from rumbling reggae-rock (I Want To Know) to spooky caveman blues (I’m Only Joking). The bouncy, Britpoppy It’s A Good Life was infused with a Balkan-sounding accordion that suddenly morphed into a zydeco breakdown mid-song. Y’know, THAT old trick.

The guys also played an intimate acoustic version of “Come with me now” to a small limited VIP crowd before they did their main set on the big stage…It was a more of a “gypsy” , said Dylan Kongos. It was defenety a version we did not expect to here from them…and it turned out great !

The stage show was fantastic..Starting out the show with “Hey I don’t Know” and ending with their hit “Come with Me Now”, all and all it was a great set with some great beats..You can really tell their dad had a lot of influence on their style of music they make…but at the same time have their own little twist on it as well.