SunSquabi brought their hydro-funk jams to Empire Control Room & Garage in Austin, TX for a serendipitous solstice show on Saturday, December 21st. Austin was treated to quite a night of face-melting jams, infused and deep-fried with electro-funk, jam-rock, and even some Drum and Bass.
Fellow Colorado natives Cycles opened the festivities along with the Austin-based producer Casual T. Casual T set the tone for the night with feel-good tunes drawing from his love of future bass, funk, and trap before Colorado took over the Texas stage for the remainder of the show.
Cycles kept the fierce energy of the evening rolling with a glorious set of progressive, psychedelic jam-rock, proving their growing status in the scene. Inspired by Primus, Phish, J.Dilla, and Jimmy Herring, to name a few, the three-piece beautifully blends rock, jazz, hip-hop, funk, and more to create a progressive and unique sound that is sure to blow one’s mind. The set offered an hour of remarkable guitar shredding by Patrick Harvey, satisfying bass grooves courtesy of Tucker McClung, and powerful drum beats from Collin O’Brien. The performance even included a compelling sample of Madonna’s “Ray of Light”.
When SunSquabi took the stage, the energy was contagious and the vibe was proper. Akin to an auditory space quest, the band brought the crowd on a live music journey through the realms of classic funk, fused with the undeniable signature Squabi resonance. The trio—comprised of Chris Anderson (drums), Josh Fairman (bass/synth), and Kevin Donohue (guitar/keys/production)—continued to break boundaries and define themselves in a genre completely their own.
They opened with “Caterpillar”, off their 2019 album, Instinct. The three-piece dazzled the audience with a funky fresh performance laced with impressive musicianship, extremely danceable hits and, most importantly, lasers. The first half delved into newer numbers “Chrysalis” and “Night Moth” followed by a rowdy version of “Dexter” off 2017’s Deluxe EP.
Basking in what could be described as “music that sounds like the sunrise and sunset,” the crowd fully immersed themselves in the Squab-Train get-down throughout the two-hour musical escapade. SunSquabi graced the audience with a dark Drum and Bass groove followed by a The Meters-style jam that hinted small tastes of Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff”. The second half of the show explored fan-favorites “Cinnamon”, “Deluxe”, and the heater “SquabCat”. Unfortunately, the night eventually had to come to an end, and the band capped off the night’s production with a rager of an encore featuring “Anytime” and “Reptile”.
SunSquabi recently announced their Day Glow Funk Tour composed of a run of 2020 dates with fellow electro-funk staples, The Floozies. The tour will kick off in Burlington, VT (2/26) before making its way across the east coast and midwest and ending in Pelham, TN (4/25). Visit SunSquabi’s official website for ticket and tour information
Setlist: SunSquabi | Empire Control Room & Garage | Austin, TX | 12/21/19
Caterpillar, Torque, Dexter, Chrysalis, Top Down, Hornet, Night Moth, Lone Star > Mob Boss, Zapp, Pangolin, Cinnamon, Sticky, Deluxe, SteamCat, SquabCat
Encore: Anytime, Reptile
*Setlist unconfirmed