On Friday, June 6th, Muscle Tough—Philadelphia’s decade-old funk/jazz/fusion robotic space trio—brought otherworldly vibes to a hometown crowd at The Foundry at The Fillmore, celebrating the release of the band’s latest high-octane LP, Too Busy 4 Jail. The crowd, including many friends and family, buzzed with excitement, ready to “Get Tough” with a night of intricate and spontaneous grooves presented with boundless creative energy.

Kicking off the evening was Paris Monster, the Brooklyn-based duo of Josh Dion (drums, vocals, synth) and Geoff Kraly (bass guitar, modular synth). Dion offered powerful vocals, as if Brant Bjork or Jimi Hendrix were singing a tune by the Black Crowes or Black Keys, and his drumming provided a solid, danceable backbone, even with his right hand rocking a synth about half the time. Kraly’s bass, supplemented by his modular synth, filled out the sonic landscape, creating ethereal textures one moment and dirty grooves the next. Their unique blend of modern electronic elements, old-school funk and soul, and dirty, dirty rock music, proved a compelling way to begin the night.

Muscle Tough took the stage to custom walk-out music, themed to Too Busy 4 Jail and set in the key of their opening number, “Pick a Platform”, a warm-up tune that’s not on the record. The crowd added spontaneous and enthusiastic “woos” to the fourth beat, a vocal reaction the band noted as a first, and one that would punctuate many of the open spaces in the music throughout the rest of the night. From there, the band launched into “Bummer Boys”, the fast yet vibey first track from the new album. Guitarist Ross Bellenoit began the night test driving a new guitar made by Pete Brown of Loudo Guitars, out of Philly (well, across the bridge in Clementon, NJ). He would alternate between that and his trusty Hagstrom throughout the night, though it would take a highly trained ear to notice the difference, given how extensive a pedalboard he plays through.

As the band moved into the next tune from the album, “Molecular Fights”, bassist Jonathan Colman looked to his own smorgasbord of effects, playing the entire tune pitched up two octaves and leaving the bass work to Bellenoit, who pitched his guitar down two octaves. This is one of Muscle Tough’s calling cards: If you close your eyes at any given moment during a show, you may not be able to tell who’s doing what. Another of the band’s calling cards is that each of the players writes tunes (“Molecular Fights” is actually by drummer Joe Baldacci). They continued to play through the balance of the new album, including the Bellenoit-penned “Bread Dread”, containing some of the tastiest guitar fills released this year, as well as Colman’s “Chill Dentist”—not a clever name, as the guy has a cool dentist—and Baldacci’s “Rainbow Kalashnikov”—definitely a clever name.

The band entrusted lighting duty to the legendary Jefferson Waful, known for his decade-plus tenure with Umphrey’s McGee. He made the most of the Foundry’s relatively simple “small room” setup, creating dynamic visuals that perfectly tracked the music, whether composed or improvised, and contributed to a delightful sensory overload. During improvisations, Bellenoit brought a lyrical cadence to his playing, while Colman took a page out of Phil Lesh’s book—then made a hard left—by playing bass unlike your average bassist, conjuring synth tones that would be perfectly at home on a Pat Metheny Group record. For his part, Baldacci put on a hell of a show, keeping fans dancing by always hitting the two and the four—that is, when the band was playing in even time—amid wicked polyrhythmic drum and synth fills, sometimes with an echo delay that brought the trio close to dub territory. The band’s compositions are often cinematic, even operatic, telling stories through soundscapes that conjure descriptors ranging from “whimsical” to “evil.” Despite the rhythmic complexity, the music remained incredibly danceable, a testament to the band’s commitment to balancing virtuosity with immediacy.

After playing through “Sugar Mother”, the album’s closer, the band played a tune with Paris Monster’s Dion, who lent his powerful vocals to a spirited rendition of Elton John‘s “I’m Still Standing”, played at half time. (The band tends to include a MT-style cover of a pop tune in each of their live shows.) The cover was a joyous moment, perfectly encapsulating the celebratory mood of the evening, as the group left the stage. They returned for an encore, beginning with a “first-time played” eleven-song Led Zeppelin medley, and closing with “Field Trip Balls”, from their 2017 LP, Magical Achievements. The band left the audience stunned by their technical skills, versatility, and improvisational prowess.

Muscle Tough’s album release show was a full-sensory experience and demonstrated the band members’ growth as composers and performers. They seamlessly blended intricate musicianship with an infectious groove, creating a sound that was both technically demanding and profoundly engaging. For fans of funk, fusion, and adventurous instrumental music, it’s time to get tough: Muscle Tough!

Check full-show video and click below to view photo galleries from Muscle Tough’s Too Busy 4 Jail album release show. Listen to the album below, and click here to order it on vinyl.

Muscle Tough will return to the stage this week for shows in Hartford, CT and Red Bank, NJ. The band is also scheduled to perform at Rochester International Jazz Festival, Solar Circuit‘s Strange Soiree, and The Ramble Festival. Find a full list of upcoming tour dates and ticketing information here.

Muscle Tough | The Foundry | Philadelphia, PA | 6/6/25 [Main Set]
[Video: 215music]

Muscle Tough – “Led Zeppelin Melody”, “Field Trip Balls” – 6/6/25 [Encore]

[Video: 215music]

Muscle Tough – Too Busy 4 Jail

Setlist: Muscle Tough | The Foundry | Philadelphia, PA | 6/6/25
Set: Pick a Platform > Bummer Boys, Molecular Fights, Bread Dread, Too Busy 4 Jail, Chill Dentist > Rainbow Kalashnikov > The Witch > Sugar Mother > I’m Still Standing (Elton John) [1]
Encore: Led Zeppelin Medley (Custard Pie > Heartbreaker > Out on the Tiles > Black Dog > Whole Lotta Love > Immigrant Song > No Quarter > When the Levee Breaks > Kashmir > Stairway to Heaven > The Ocean) [2], Field Trip Balls
Notes:
[1] Josh Dion (Paris Monster) on vocals
[2] First time played