By Brent Johnson, JerseyArts.com
originally published: 02/23/2017
Ask Kam Franklin what kind of music she plays with her band, The Suffers, and she’ll first give you a three-word answer: “Gulf Coast soul.”
Then, if you don’t quite understand what that means, she turns to a trusty food comparison.
“I refer to it as a stew or a soup,” Franklin, the group’s singer, explains. “What’s ‘Gulf Coast soul’? I like to say that traditional soul music would be like your stock — your chicken stock or your beef stock that you start out with. If you have a good foundation, it doesn’t really matter what you add in there. So in our case, jazz would be like your onions, salsa and reggae would be like your garlic and your celery.”
Those ingredients seem to be working. The 10-piece, horn-infused outfit became sensations in their native Houston by melding numerous musical genres heard around their hometown, one of the cities along Texas’ Gulf Coast.
And in recent years, you might have seen them on David Letterman or Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk shows. Or maybe you caught them on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” New Jerseyans got a glimpse of them last year at WXPN’s XPoNential Music Festival in Camden.
Now, The Suffers — who released their self-titled debut album last year — will return to the Garden State, playing the Luciani Theatre at the Guaracini Performing Arts Center at Cumberland County College in Vineland at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Franklin — who commands attention with her booming voice, energetic presence, curly black hair, and floral print dresses — has a quick response when asked what she likes most about the group’s music.
“How it makes people feel,” the 29-year-old says. “It makes them feel happy, for the most part. There are certain songs that we have that definitely have that force you to kind of reflect on certain things in your life — be that your romantic relationships or your personal relationships with your family or whatever. But more than anything, I think that we do our best to try to remind people to engage in compassion towards others and self-love.”
And is that needed more than ever in today’s political and cultural climate?
“Yeah, I think everybody needs as much love as they can get,” Franklin says with a laugh.
The genesis of the group dates back to 2011, when many of the members were already playing in other Houston-area acts. The Suffers began as a side project, with the simple intent of playing for fun.
“They had the idea to bring together all of these different players that they always wanted to work with,” Franklin recalls. “The idea was just to play once or twice a year. It ended up being where one show led to three shows to touring full time.”
Franklin had known some of the members from high school and had made a name for herself as a singer with other local bands. She also was a backup singer and dancer for other artists, often singing hooks for rappers — something she still does on the side.
The band took their name from a 1978 Jamaican film called Rockers.
“In that movie, ‘the sufferers’ are musicians that are not being rewarded for the music that they create,” Franklin explains. “So originally when we started, we were called The Sufferers. But we found out that it was really hard to say.”
So instead, they shortened it. And yes, they understand it’s grammatically incorrect.
“We do have a lot of grammar nerds that let us know that every time they see us,” Franklin says, laughing. “We are more than aware.”
Franklin’s own name is unusual, too. Her full first name is Kamerra — pronounced like the instrument you use to take a photo.
“My mom is a photographer,” Franklin explains. “She named me and my brother after her hobbies. I’m Kamerra and my brother is Langston, after Langston Hughes. She’s a big poetry fan. “
“But (my name) is phonetically incorrect when people try to pronounce it,” Franklin adds. “It looks like Kamera.”
So she shortened it to “Kam.”
The Suffers will celebrate their sixth anniversary in June, and Franklin says where they are now is “night and day” from where they started.
“It’s something you can compare to working out,” she says. “There are going to be your guys who can run a mile really fast, but if they’re running every day, every day they work out, it’s going to get easier and easier and easier to accomplish that mile. … With us, because we started doing this every day while you’re touring, your level of musicianship just goes through the roof compared to when you’re doing it once or twice a month.”
Up next: Immediately after leaving New Jersey, they’ll spend three-and-a-half-weeks on their first European tour. And after that, they’ll spend two weeks playing Australia. Plus, they’re writing their second record now.
“It’s just non-stop work and creating,” Franklin says. “It’s a really, really, really exciting environment to be in.”
You can have your events appear here,
whenever someone reads an article about
click here for more information
Singer/songwriter Evening In The Round
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJSomething Special a round robin evening of music featuring a group of the finest singer/songwriter from our local area who come together for this one of a kind show not be missed
Freestyle Takeover 3
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJStarring Cynthia, The Jets, George Lamond, Johnny O, Nyasia, Denine and hosted by Dom G! Freaturing Dare Goes Da DJzz. After-Party available for additional fee. (Must purchase a show ticket to buy the After Party ticket)
The Righteous Brothers: Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell Tour
Sunday, November 08, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJBlue-eyed soul pioneers The Righteous Brothers are back! With a string of #1 clas-sics, including the most played song in radio history,
You’ve Lost
That Lovin’ Fee/in’, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts in four decades. After Bobby’s death in 2003, Bill Medley con-tinued to perform to sold-out crowds around the world, but fans and friends pleaded with him to keep The Righteous Brothers alive.
Beat: Belew/vai/levin/bozzio Performing The Music Of King Crimson
Monday, November 09, 2026 @ 8:00pm
NJPAC - Prudential Hall
1 Center Street, Newark, NJFollowing more than 100 acclaimed performances across North and South America, Europe, and Japan, BEAT returns this fall for the last North American tour. Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin are joined by guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and legendary drummer Terry Bozzio to perform the music of the three landmark 1980s King Crimson albums—Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.
Joe Russo's Almost Dead
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJJoe Russo's Almost Dead is Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo. We're a Grateful Dead cover band.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Rick Steves Joins New Jersey Symphony for a Symphonic Journey Through Europe
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Guidebook author and public television host Rick Steves joins New Jersey Symphony November 7–8, 2026 for Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey, a concert that pairs Europe's most stirring Romantic-era anthems with high-definition travel footage and Steves' insights into European history.
Albert Music Hall to Celebrate Pinelands Folklore with Annual Jersey Devil Show on Saturday
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Halloween may have come and gone, but the Jersey Devil is always lurking in the Pines! On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Albert Music Hall will celebrate one of New Jersey's most enduring legends with its annual Jersey Devil Show, an evening combining live music, storytelling, and the rich folklore of the New Jersey Pinelands.
The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Grunin Center's "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" Celebrates 100 Years of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Recordings
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts' "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" series brings a century of jazz history to the stage this fall with a celebration of Louis Armstrong's groundbreaking Hot Five recordings, featuring trumpeter Andrew Stephens on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00pm.
U.K. Folk Trio, The Longest Johns, to Perform at The Vogel
(RED BANK, NJ) -- U.K. folk trio The Longest Johns will perform at the Vogel on Sunday, November 8, 2026. They are are known the world over for their rollicking harmonies and raucous energy, blowing new wind into the sails of traditional sea shanties and work songs. They are on a U.S. tour to support their latest release End of the Earth. Showtime is 7:00pm.
State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30pm. The band was formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2013. While they are a Grateful Dead cover band, they are known more for interpreting songs by the Dead rather than attempting to replicate the band's work.
NJPAC presents Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell
(NEWARK, NJ) -- With a voice that can fill a concert hall and make every listener feel personally embraced, Gregory Porter has become one of the most beloved artists in contemporary jazz. On Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00pm, the two-time GRAMMY® winner returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell for an evening of soulful expression, exquisite storytelling and remarkable vocal artistry, presented as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.
Forte Piano Music Company presents Exquisite Contrasts: Haydn & Schubert Piano Trios
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- The Forte Piano Music Company presents a Piano Trio Concert - "Exquisite Contrasts" - Haydn & Schubert on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2:30pm. This program brings together two landmarks of the piano trio repertoire, revealing the evolution of the genre from the Classical era to early Romanticism.
Mahwah Museum Hosts "Les Paul from Start to Finish" with Jim Wysocki
(MAHWAH, NJ) -- Come to the Mahwah Museum on Sunday, November 15, 2026 for a discussion of a 29-year friendship, rare memorabilia, and the story behind Les Paul's home with Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki from his nearly three-decade friendship with legendary musician and inventor Les Paul. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor
(PRINCETON, NJ) — The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor on Friday, November 20, 2026 in an evening of upbeat and bubbling song filled with enthusiasm and love. The concert takes place at Christ Congregation Church in Princeton. Showtime is 8:00pm. A livestream option is available as well.
