The Hollow in Albany was a buzz Saturday April 18 for Albany’s Formula 5‘s live album release party hosted by Guthrie Bell Productions. The party kicked off with Boston’s progressive electrofunk four piece, Strange Machines. Greeted with a irresistible rhythm, funky melody and intergalactic upbeat improvisation, these boys are anything but strange. They are indeed a well oiled machine that hypnotizes listeners with unrelenting peaks of a reggae, livetronica, rock fusion. They set the tone for an amazing evening of live music, and the crowd responded.
Setlist: Shape of things, Voice of Color, Squid, Enter the Interceptor->Cause and Effect, Electric Feel, Brighton Tickler, Golden Rule
It was just about a year to the date that Formula 5 released their studio album Edging on Catastrophe. Since then, this quartet has tightened and heightened their jams to peak performance with a dedicated fan base and numerous shows all over the east coast. Saturday’s shows featured The Chronic Horns, Jeff Nania and Bryan Brundige, adding a twist of jazzy flair and old school funk. Here’s hoping this isn’t that last time we see this brilliant collaboration.
The night was full of sit ins as Tucker Callander wasted no time jumping in on the first song of the night, “New Roads” with his violin for a jamgrassy splash. Mashups should be in a genre all their own when it comes to music. One of the highlights of the night was when Michael MacDonald from Strange Machines teamed up with Formula 5’s Mike McDonald on vocals for a mashup of Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and Warren G and Nate Dogg’s “Regulate” causing the whole room to enjoy a good laugh and a solid rendition. After a quick break, Set 2 began with original Formula 5 member Bill Shattuck joining the band for their ever popular “Sledgehammer” boost. It was a blur from there as the set got “late night strange” with a continuous flow of complex segues especially with Christian Perron sitting in for “The Clear > Low Rider”. Be sure to pick up Formula 5’s new live album, Live Five, Vol. 1 at any of their upcoming shows.
You can see both Strange Machines and Formula 5 at Rock N Roll Resort on May 2 in Kerhonkson, NY and Disc Jam on June 13 at Stephentown, NY.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0rERx1hJ4Y]
Set 1: New Roads@, Floating$, The Music Never Stopped$, Earthbound Tim$, Hottentot$, Pedro$ -> 2001$, Regulate/I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) Mashup$^
Set 2: Sledgehammer$%, Excalibur, Freeway Jam -> Catch Me, The Clear#* -> Low Rider#, Nu-GEN -> 3 Ring Circus* -> Epiphany -> The Clear
@ – feat. Tucker Callander on Violin
$ – feat. The Chronic Horns (Bryan Brundige on Trombone & Jeff Nania on Saxophone)
^ – Warren G and Nate Dogg/Michael McDonald Mashup featuring Christian Perron(Strange Machines) on Piano/Synth, Michael MacDonald (Strange Machines) and Michael McDonald (Formula 5) on Vocals
% – feat. Bill Shattuck on Vocals
# – feat. Christian Perron on Piano/Synth
* – Unfinished
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka3xK02XzZQ]
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