Cresting the peak of its West Coast run, Maryland-based four-piece Bumpin Uglies made its debut at Felton Music Hall on Saturday, January 29th. Nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains just above the fog of the sleepy beach town below, Felton, CA was abuzz in anticipation.

Opening act Joey Harkum was taken aback with not only how many people turned out for his set, but that they were people that were paying attention and even knew his material. The heavy collaboration between Harkum, Artikal Sound System, and Bumpin Uglies definitely didn’t hurt either. Harkum’s solo act saw sit-ins from BU’s Ethan Lichtenberger on melodica, TJ Haslett on drums, and Artikal’s keyboardist Christopher Cope on several songs.

The laid-back vibe took a sharp turn into a dance and groove-heavy performance by Artikal Sound System. The band’s whole performance boomed and set a high bar for the headlining act as it dipped its toes across a spectrum of genres and influences. By the end of the set, Felton was asking for an encore.

As if he couldn’t stand the anticipation a moment longer, Bumpin Uglies singer and guitarist Brandon Hardesty took to the stage with his guitar before the band and crowd were set, catching the room by surprise. He admitted it might be the result of a couple of Red Bulls and started playing “Fuck It” from 2017’s Songs From the Basement. The band quickly filed onstage behind him and over the next 90 minutes played through a nearly 20 song setlist.

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With many highs, deep rumbling gut checks, a variety of genre-bending and vibe lifting through an array of brass and keyboard sounds, Bumpin Uglies put on a show you didn’t want to miss. It was clear that Hardesty wrote these songs for the love of writing songs, and that laid-back approach has been critical to the live show as every crowd is welcomed into the fold.

Following “Radio” early in the set, members of the audience clamored for the older track “New Socks”. Without much prompting, and out of genuine stoke to hear a deeper cut request in a new city across the country, Hardesty obliged the audible. Songs took a roller coaster ride from dubby, slower reggae, through ska, punk, and barely controlled chaos that even saw a few mosh circles open upfront.

Slowing things down late in the set, the band left Hardesty onstage with an acoustic guitar. He invited Logan Rex, the powerhouse vocalist of Artikal Sound System to join him for the band’s new release, “Too Stoned”, before mellowing out with an acoustic version of “The Cave”.

Bumpin Uglies will spend another couple of weeks in the southwest, performing across SoCal, Nevada, and Arizona before moving into Texas by mid-February. Artikal Sound System and Joey Harkum will stay on the bill through February 12th in San Antonio, TX. Head to the band’s website for tickets and a full list of tour dates. Furthermore, check out a gallery of images from the Bumpin Uglies show at Felton Music Hall, courtesy of photographer Josh Huver/Must Have Media, below.