It’s hard to think of two touring acts better than Turkuaz and the New Mastersounds in the world of funk. Both have carved their respective sounds in tribute to eras of old, but in distinctly different ways. Turkuaz, the 9-piece powerfunk outfit from Brooklyn, pays homage to the theatrical style of legends like the Talking Heads and Sly and the Family Stone; the New Mastersounds, to the contrary, have a raw vintage sound akin to instrumental funk greats like the Meters and Booker T & the M.G’s. The bands have recently kicked off a nationwide co-headlining tour, which made a stop at the historic Boulder Theater on Friday night.

On this particular night, it was the New Mastersounds turn to bat lead off. Eddie Roberts, the suave leader of the band who wore a sport coat for the duration of the performance, was on his A game. His jazzy guitar licks and catchy phrasings anchored the tunes, allowing ample room for keyboardist Joe Tatton to dance and explore on the Hammond B3 organ. The band cooked from one song to next, eventually enlisting Turkuaz saxophonists Josh Schwartz and Greg Sanderson to join in on the fun.

Next up was Turkuaz, with a slightly larger lighting rig and a much larger cast. Each of the nine members wore a different unique color, a light-hearted approach consistent across much of the band’s recent marketing. Their show was a well-scripted collective experience with surprisingly few extended solos, but it was tasteful guitarist Craig Brodhead that got his name called the most.

Turkuaz’s time was a welcomed mix of original tracks, mostly off their latest release “Digitonium,” and select covers. There were renditions of Hot Chocolate’s disco hit “Every 1’s a Winner,” the Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” and The Band’s “The Shape I’m In” ended the set.

The band encored with “On the Border,” a cover of a New Mastersounds cut recently released on a 7’’ EP that Roberts and Tatton returned for. It was a fitting collaboration and close to one of the funkiest nights of music Boulder, CO has seen in some time!

[Photo via gergyt // Instagram]