The temperatures may have soared into the 80s Thursday, but the hottest spot was Three Sheets, where two bands transformed the crowd into summer mode with their free-spirited danceable sets.
Solgyres — who describe their music as “solarpunk reggae” — and Fuselaje — “surf, ska, cumbia” — melded all of their sounds into one big party.
The two bands had a lot in common, one of them being that they consisted of a lot of members. Solgyres clocked in at ten while Fuselaje had eight. It took some finesse to fit them all on and around the stage, but they both did it with style and left room for those in attendance to practice some fancy footwork.
June is the start of festival season, and Solgyres came out with the type of energy and vibrancy that suits a big outdoor show but also lights up a bar on the brink of a weekend. Vocalist Lucia Magnuson was joined on vocals by keyboardist (and on one song, guitarist) Skyelyn Bernier, bassist Scott Bernier, and guitarist Jake Russell, while lead guitarist Logan Tichnor also swapped for keys and harmonica at different points in the set. Drummer Zach Neuneker and percussionist Micah McLeary kept the beats popping and fresh, and the horn section — Spencer Bernier on trumpet, Frank DeCrescenzo III on trombone, and Ryan Adams on sax — brought it all together.
“It’s a tight squeeze up here,” said Russell at one point, but the proceedings all felt loose and lovely. The band played their most recent release, “All One,” as well as selections from their eponymous album released last year. Each one built upon the other, each groove feeling like it reenergized the room repeatedly, and as I said earlier, was highly danceable.
This is party music, people, make no mistake. You’ll want to listen to it when you’re hosting your backyard barbecues and beach-side picnics, and probably even when you’re just chilling on your front stoop or cruising in your car. And it’ll make you feel like the sun is out even when it’s close to midnight.
Speaking of cruising in your car, Fuselaje is without question the type of music I think about listening to when the windows are rolled down and the sun is out shining its light. This eight-piece band served an all-out slayer of a set that brought the room on to their feet and into the weekend. Audience participation was encouraged. Percussionist Oscar Alarcon handed out shakers to some of the crowd to join in on one song (you can see some of that in the video below) and the song “Taquitos” had guitarist and vocalist Tim Goselin asking the crowd to shout “Taquitos” along with him. They obliged loudly and happily.
The band also included two more drummer/percussionists — Bruce Crowder and Joe Scialla — as well as bassist Chris Fasanella, keyboardist Seth Sotolongo, and yes, another horn section: Dustin Kreidler on baritone sax and Chris Barrett on trumpet. They also spread themselves out on and around the stage but still left room for those who felt compelled to move along. In fact, members of Solgyres were some of the most vibrant audience members dancing right up front. Originals and covers, instrumental and not, were interchanged, but Fuselaje made even the songs that weren’t theirs all their own. “Red, Red Wine” and the Peter Gunn theme were highly recognizable, but felt recharged.
This is the third time this reporter has seen this band, and one thing is for certain: They just keep getting better. Songs, and performances as a whole, seem to be becoming more multilayered, more intricate, and more interesting. The keys dance, the beats make it almost impossible to not want to move your feet, and the brass brings it all to a flourish. At the center of it all is Goselin’s guitar work that remains playful, sexy, and flat out on fire. Everyone gets their chance to shine in this band while also showing their skill, spiritedness, and sense of camaraderie. I’m hoping they release a recording soon, but until then, try to catch them live. Both bands have shows coming up soon: Solgyres is in the middle of a tour currently and Fuselaje is performing at Best Video on June 27. Both deserve your attention, and you deserve to experience music that lightens your heart and head. Go get it.
