The Nook leaves its turf to bring Chennai a night of funk, soul and dance by the coast

Chennai’s most intimate music collective decides to step outside its home turf this weekend. The Nook Lounge, a brand-new series that takes the signature “Nook experience” into special venues across the city, pairs carefully curated food and drinks with live music designed to transform the evening.

The first edition, set for The Spotted Deer on East Coast Road, brings the collective’s in-house band Room Service to an outdoor stage, reimagined with all the warmth, intimacy, and immersive details that have defined The Nook so far. On the setlist: a night of funk and soul, stitched together with the band’s trademark grooves and improvisations.

Room Service Turns Up the Heat With a First-of-Its-Kind Funk and Soul Showcase in Chennai

“We wanted to do something more than just another live gig,” says Azan, bassist and bandleader. “The Nook is essentially a creative space and headquarters for us to produce music and put on shows. From the start, the idea was to create immersive, mood-based sets where everything—sound, light, even aromas—worked together. With The Nook Lounge, we’re taking that ethos outside the room and into the city.”

The origins of Room Service were almost accidental. “I was essentially unhappy with the offerings in Chennai when it came to live shows and their execution,” Azan admits. “I felt like with the right people, we could do better. So I reached out to some of my friends, Sahib Singh and Kashyap Jaishankar from Jatayu, and Vishnu Reddy from Berklee, to do just one show as a trial. It went really well, so we decided to push forward and keep the ball rolling.”

For Vishnu Reddy, the connection to Chennai runs deep. “The Chennai audience is where I grew up and cut my teeth,” he says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for them. This is my way of giving back.”

Sahib, who has been performing in the city for over 15 years, has watched the audience change first-hand. “I’ve seen people grow hungry for something new,” he notes. “They’re tired of hearing the same sounds recycled. There’s a real appetite now for fresh, adventurous live music, and I think Chennai is ready to embrace it fully.”

Described as a collaborative band, Room Service thrives on balancing individuality with unity. “People’s individuality tends to come through whether you like it or not,” Azan says. “My concern is more about us playing as a unit and putting our egos aside to make the music sound good as a whole.”

Vishnu, who is part of what the band calls “The Core,” sees it differently. “I’ve played in way too many bands where I’ve been the core member,” he laughs. “This is just another day in the office for me!” For Sahib, being “core” is as much about curation as performance. “I curate the music I’d want to hear and the sounds I feel Chennai is missing,” he explains. “And when those choices come to life on stage, I get to perform them too.”

This first Nook Lounge outing departs from the band’s usual jazz-centred focus. “Yes, we at Room Service believe in jazz education as a solid base for musicianship and self-expression, and we’re committed to mentoring young talent,” Azan says. “But this edition is oriented towards soul and funk, two deeply interconnected styles that have influenced all of us very deeply.”

For Vishnu, the shift reflects a larger trend in the city itself. “More venues are cultivating this scene, which is always necessary for any scene to grow,” he notes. “There’s also a strong influence from educational institutions like SAM and KM, which draw out the music nerd crowd.”

The core line-up came together naturally. “We’re all friends from the Chennai music scene,” Azan explains. “Some of us go back even further, and we also happened to study at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music back in its prime era.”

For Azan, the bigger picture is about cultivating audiences. “We intend to use easier-to-digest, jazz-adjacent styles of music to help develop people’s taste. Once we have them hooked, we’ll push into deeper territory with our originals. I see an eagerness for something meaningful and well executed. People know the real thing when they hear it.”

So what’s in store for the first Nook Lounge? “This one’s going to be good,” Azan promises. “Our aim is to get people dancing and grooving. This set is going to hit a lot harder and have people shaking their booties. Our drummer, Vishnu, can’t wait to let loose, and neither can the rest of us.”

Vishnu adds with a grin, “If there’s one thing I hope people take away, it’s that moment when I try to do a stick trick, fail, drop the stick, and pick it back up just in time without missing a beat.”

Sahib’s hope is simpler: “That they had a damn good time. I want people to walk away thinking, ‘I’ve never danced to live music like this in Chennai.’ It should feel like a first-of-its-kind experience here.”

The night will feature fresh arrangements of funk and soul staples, from James Brown and Prince to Michael Jackson and Lettuce. “We’ve got some fun takes lined up,” Azan says. “And as always, we’ll bring our A-game.”

For Vishnu, the vibe can be summed up in three words: “Crispy, silky, and iridescent.” Sahib has his own three: “Fun. Groove. Dance.” At the heart of it all is a simple wish,“I hope people walk away tired from dancing, with their faces hurting from smiling,” Azan says.

Rs 1,000 onwards. On September 20, from 8 pm. At The Spotted Deer, ECR

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