Back from Europe, Vulfpeck had their first show on American soil last night at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Philly Native Son warmed up the crowd before the Vulf finally hit around 1am as part of the Project Pabst after-party special. The funk quartet was joined by some very special guests, including the “Funky Duck” himself Antwaun Stanley, and a full horns section.
Local Philly extraordinaires Ian Gray (Swift Technique, trombone), Greg Rosen (Swift Technique, trumpet), Brian Blaker (Swift Technique, tenor sax, soprano sax), and Sam Greenfield (Electron, Stratosphere All-Stars, alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet) joined frequent collaborator Mark Dover (clarinet) to blow some extra life into “Back Pocket,” “1612”, “Funky Duck”, and “It Gets Funkier”. The funky five amplified Jack Stratton‘s dance moves to a new dimension, calling upon the 3,000 attendees finest claps galore. The vibes were plenty, the souls were loud, the energy was contagiously happening. To say we hope these horns are more heavily included in future Vulf-collaborations is an understatement.
Among the many highlights of the hour-long set was the live debut of Theo Katzman‘s new single “Hard Work”, which presented itself after a number of Woody Goss compositional staples. Vulf provided the perfect musical background for the soul singer to deliver his new solo track in support of his upcoming record “Heartbreak Hits,” out this January.
Furthermore, Antwaun Stanley made his United States debut of the Al Green track, “Simply Beautiful”. Played only once before in London earlier this month, Twaun took center stage to deliver this impeccable cover (watch at 31:30 mark of video below). A smooth groove with vocals that take you to a planet far beyond our own, the song was the perfect middle man between the anthemic “Funky Duck” and the sing-a-long classic “Wait For The Moment” (the prior of which demands a special mention for an unforgettable solo from Swift trombonist Ian Gray, and the latter featuring a stand-out clarinet solo from Mark Dover).
Straddling the degrees between gospel, pop, soul, and straight up funk, the only way to move past the extremities was with the narrative pleasures of “Christmas In LA” and the bass-bombing aerobics of Joe Dart‘s “Beastly”. The horns returned for a set-closing “It Gets Funkier,” and alas, it did. Desperate chants for an encore ensued, but the venue did not allow.
Thanks to YouTube user Chris Cafiero, you can enjoy the entire show in 4K:
It Gets Funkier – 360° Stage View [via Karl McWherter]
Vulfpeck @ Electric Factory 10/9/16:
Outro, Fugue State, Birdwatcher, My First Car, Hard Work (Theo Katzman Song), Back Pocket*, 1612*, Funky Duck*, Simply Beautiful (Antwaun Stanley Song), Wait For The Moment, Christmas in LA, Beastly, It Gets Funkier*
*w/ Swift Technique Horns
[Photos courtesy of Karl McWherter]
