Even though it was below freezing outside, Albany came out in force on Friday, January 23 to Lark Hall for the return of LaMP.
The funk/jam fusion trio consisting of Russ Lawton (drums), Scott Metzger (guitar) and Ray Paczkowski (Hammond Organ, Hohner Clavinet & Wurlitzer Electric Piano) has made regular stops at Lark Hall in the past couple years, the crowd growing in size with each performance.
Taking the band name from the first letter of each member’s surname, LaMP opened the first set with “Bernard” and from there, the race was on. The hour long first set brought out elements of funk, groove, and plenty of jazz through each song, getting a beat flowing quickly with each tune and the crowd moving along with the music.
All digestible tunes length-wise in the first set, the second set delved into more exploratory jams, with “Jody Grind” having a “Spanish Moon”-esque vibe, and “Allah Uya” having a subtle ear-worm of a tease of “Tom’s Diner.” The band returned to the stage for an encore of “Jimmie,” an upbeat coda to a show well worth a relisten.
Catch LaMP at the Sultan Room in Brooklyn in late February, Cooperstown at Otesaga Resort in early March and in Buffalo mid-March at Iron Works.
LaMP – Lark Hall, Albany, NY – Friday, January 23, 2026
Set 1: Bernard, Somedays, Mimi Digs It, Pork N’ Slaw, Clipse-O, Too Close, Jasper’s World, Tango
Set 2: Cosmo, Nice Girl (Walks Loud), Out Of Curiosity, The Nail, Jody Grind, Frenzy, Clipse -Dog, Allah Uya, Elsie’s River
Encore: Jimmie
Listen to a recording of the show below by John Tremblay.
Photos by Frankie Cavone
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