Newton Crosby got the night off on the right foot on July 18th at the Hollow Bar, (formerly known as Bayou Café) ahead of Mister F. In the middle of a five day heat wave, music enthusiasts were more than happy to sweat it out to the funky beats of two phenomenal bands. Each of Newton Crosby’s songs built energy from the song before and stayed very heavily focused around the saxophone. The keys and synth transformed the organic sounds of instruments into a beautiful blend of synthetic melodic funk jams. They were the perfect band to warm up the stage on a hot night in Albany.
Mister F took the Hollow stage with full force and high energy. The electronic blend immediately picked up within their first song and invigorated the crowd with energy. Matt Pickering belted into the microphone without missing a single beat while the rest of the band follows suit in synchrony. Their authenticity within each song develops complex layers that bounce between band members creating stellar building points for each member to work off of. Even more so, you can tell that each member is genuinely having a blast doing it so it makes it all that much better for the crowd. Halfway through their first set they busted out a seriously funky rendition of “Superstitions” by Stevie Wonder. Scott Hannay (keys) really brought that song to life with his powerful vocals and amazingly funky keys. The blend of pure instrumental talent mixed with the electronic elements really creates a new and fresh sound that is rare to find. Even in 98 degree heat these boys threw down, and turned the heat up. This was the only the second time I had seen these guys and even from just a few months ago you can see the growth of the band and their fan-base. There is obviously a huge buzz surrounding Mister F, so make sure you catch them at their upcoming shows and festivals.
Set I: Jump the Shark, Everything You Say, Superstition > Answer the Dog, ‘Oasis Mood’, Buster’s Revenge, Hedgehog
Set II: This One Goes to 11, Fancy Footwork, Deal Breaker, Treadmill, 1000 Cigarettes* > Vocoder^, Get Used to It
*first time played, MSTRKRFT
^”Broke Odor” version
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