Secret Sessions Boston featured a special surprise two-set performance from Particle, prior to kicking off their winter tour, at Thunder Road Music Club & Rock ‘n Roll Bistro in Boston during Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 9th. Particle consists of Steve Molitz on keyboards, Mike Daum on guitar, Clay Parnell on bass, and Kito Bovenschulte on drums. This funky livetronica jam band took fans on a wild ride throughout the evening.

Set one blasted out of the gate with a funkadelic jam, “London Forces.”  Molitz went thick on the keys and Parnell brought out a funk bass that immediately put everyone in a dancing mood. What a way to start off this chilly Mardi Gras evening. The intimate venue had fans bouncing from the get go. 

“Metropolis” was a psychedelic tune swimming in fantastical tones crammed with airy keys, followed by blasts of Daum’s guitar and bursts of Bovenschulte’s pounding drums.  The jam filled the venue with carefree vibes as fans swayed to the electric energy. The set continued as they brought the notes down to a darker mood with “Launchpad” that was wrapped in ever changing euphoric tones. Jamtronica was in full force tonight. The electric spark thrown off by the instruments bounced off the walls, only to be thrown back into the crowd. The beat was on a high with no end in sight.  The tone on stage melted the snow right off the roof. Set one was on blast off!

The symphonic undertones from the keys laid the groundwork for the vigorous sensations being projected. Daum joined in on synthesizers throughout the set to deepen the layers, creating an intense flow of sound. Extended jams eased from low, seemingly endless notes only to suddenly morph into busted out full-on in your face energy. 

Mid-set brought out a pumped up, jamtronica version of Lipps, Inc.’s “Funky Town.” Daum did not hold back as he broke out a belting guitar midway through the full on funkified jam, followed by Parnell highlighting extended, deep bass tones. Molitz’s keys were prominent throughout, as expected, laying the base for Particle’s well known extensive funkamania. The set continued as they moved into a fluid melody accenting Daum’s guitar shred, with brief hints of a slight Pink Floyd feel intertwined in the background. Set one closed with a killer version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child”, crammed with heavy bass bombs and chunky guitar licks that dropped throughout. 

Set two got underway without skipping a beat. Trippy notes and tones danced throughout the entrance of the opener, “Kneeknocker.” Particle has an incredible way of tossing musical notes around in the brain that create painted images with ever changing colors of magical proportions. Sugar Boy & His Cane Cutters “Iko Iko” made a surprising appearance onto the set list. The audience erupted into cheers and joined in to belt out the lyrics along with the band.

Mystical sounds persisted as they seamlessly flowed from Whodini’s “Freaks Come Out at Night” into “Bottlecap” before transitioning back into “Freaks.”  The chill outside wasn’t about to stop the heat from blasting inside. Breathy keys, quick drum taps, and experimental guitar tones filled the second half of the closing set with dreamy, instrumental hues. Particle closed out the evening with an intense version of “The Elevator.”  They did not hold back and threw everything they had at this jam. Set two came to a sick close as the energy blasted off and left the audience dripping in sweat from the heat. Overall, for not being on the tour schedule, this surprise set was one hell of a warm up session and fans are in for a spectacular treat during their upcoming performances.

Setlist: Thunder Road Music Club ‘n Rock & Roll Bistro, Boston, MA – February, 9, 2016

Set One: London Forces, Metropolis > Launchpad, Funkytown*>Triple Threat, Voodoo Child** 

Set Two: Kneeknocker, Iko Iko*** > Freaks Come Out At Night****>Bottlecap>Freaks Come Out At Night, The Elevator (with outro as Intro)

*Lipps, Inc.
**Jimi Hendrix
***Sugar Boy & His Cane Cutters
****Whodini

Their winter tour starts in Vermont on Thursday, followed by being on the road for the next three weeks. More information about the band, and their upcoming tour, can be found at their official website. 

Words by Sarah Bourque.  Follow me on Twitter.