For the fourth time in New York, and third time at the Brooklyn Bowl, funk darlings Vulfpeck took the stage and treated fans to an all-out display of tight musicianship, complete with an absurd stage presence. The band quickly rose in popularity within the “jam” scene, replete with the most hyper-critical of music fans. Unabashedly, Vulfpeck proved themselves on each of these four night runs, remaining true to their own mysterious Vulfish ways. In being themselves, Vulfpeck steadily earns the respect that they deserve.

The band opened up their show with a medley of “Speedwalker” and “Sky Mall,” before Jack Stratton reached out and thanked the audience for their support. In an intimate setting like the Brooklyn Bowl, the band’s regular banter plays as very legit and entertaining. You can feel the sincerity that comes across in every line, especially as Stratton urges the crowd’s consciousness into a funky rendition of “Conscious Club.”

“Rango” followed, before the band broke out into two Woody Goss compositions, “Fugue State” and “The Birdwatcher.” The set included two back-to-back surprises, including the rare Vollmilch track “Adrienne and Adrianne” and a debut cover of The Five Fairsteps’ “Ooh Child.” With Antwaun Stanley at the helm and Bernard Purdie in the pocket, this was a real soulful moment of the performance.

That soul continued when the band brought out Lake Street Dive’s own Rachael Price, who sang lead on the band’s new cover of The Beatles’ “Something.” Her vocals are beyond impressive, and the song was a real mid-set treat. Joey Dosik came out next, singing lead on his original “Game Winner” and another cover, “Never Can Say.”

Antwaun then made his triumphant return, joining the band for a four-song run that included the uber-catchy “1612” and “Funky Duck.” Both of the songs featured a full horn section, with tuba player Ibanda Ruhumbika from the Colbert show adding some funk to the mix. “Funky Duck” with the tuba, as well as a trombonist and saxophonist, was just on another level of dancing grooves.

After “Funky Duck,” the stage cleared of special guests, and the band taught their fans some unfamiliar lyrics to sing along with their next song. “Pop Warner… Dennis the Menace, click and clack… Dennis Kucinich.” Once they played the introduction to Steely Dan’s “Peg,” it all made sense. What fun!

Antwaun stayed on for one more song, the classic “Wait For The Moment,” before the band treated fans to a series of their most popular songs. “Back Pocket” was first, as Theo Katzman split the crowd into a three-part harmony to sing the song’s catchy refrain. “Beastly” came next, featuring the handiwork of bassist Joe Dart. It’s a real treat watching Dart at work. “Christmas in LA” followed, with yet another three part harmony and some playful banter by Katzman. After “It Gets Funkier” and “Outro,” the band bid their fans goodnight.

With time for one more song, the band surprised us all by bringing out a cover of Hanson’s “MMMBop.” The song actually featured Bernard Purdie on the studio recording, hence the song selection. As if we needed another reason to love this band, they finished out their show with one of the most silly songs in existence.

Watch the Hanson cover below.

A very special shout out belongs to Cory Wong, who played guitar from start to finish during last night’s show and the whole four-night run. Having a permanent guitarist really gives Stratton and Katzman the freedom to switch instruments as they see fit, opening up the band’s show tremendously. Not to mention how great his guitar technique is.

You can listen to the full audio recording below, courtesy of taper Eric McRoberts:

Thank you for four glorious nights of music Vulfpeck! So much fun.

Setlist: Vulfpeck at Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY – 9/10/16

Set: Speedwalker/Sky Mall, Conscious Club, Rango, Fugue State, The Birdwatcher, Adrienne and Adrianne, Ooh Child, Something, Game Winner, Never Can Say, 1612, Funky Duck, Peg, Wait For The Moment, Back Pocket, Beastly, Christmas in LA, It Gets Funkier, Outro

Encore: Mmm Bop

[Photo taken on night one by Patrick Hughes // Faces of Festivals]