Last Friday, purchase electro-funk duo The Floozies took the stage at the Sinclair with a characteristically excellent set. Showcasing their exciting and dynamic take on the genre, brothers Matt and Mark Hill laid down some seriously impressive instrument work over programmed synth lines and bass. The two brought the funk in a big way, running through a set that was sure to please both EDM fans and the more classically-minded.
Opener Late Night Radio got the crowd into the right mood. The Denver native showed an excellent versatility, incorporating soul samples into a trip hop sound garnished with just enough glitchiness to keep everything lively. Never seeming in a rush, he provided some awesome extended grooves but always brought things full circle with driving riffs. The attitude and skill was very reminiscent of Michael Menert, whom he not so surprisingly mentioned as a friend, and his intelligent sound could see him fitting in well at Pretty Lights Music or a similar label.
Things really kicked off when the Floozies took the stage. Older brother and songwriter Matt Hill was the center of the performance, taking control of the computer, pads and occasionally a goofy vocoder. A lot of the songs were almost entirely pre-recorded and just cued or crossfaded together, which would be disappointing but for the awesome level of improvisation on top of everything. When he wasn’t chopping up a track on the go, he was excitedly noodling on his guitar, jamming in a way that neither overpowered the synth lines nor let the guitar fade into the background. His wild enthusiasm was almost too much to handle. He was visibly excited with every next song and had such a good camaraderie with the crowd that every time he whipped the guitar off of his back there was a small cheer. He also drew an enormous laugh at the end of the night when, instead of simply walking off before the encore, he announced that he really had to pee and would be back in a few minutes.
On drumming duties, Mark was a little less fun to watch but still an integral part of the set. Though program-based setups have come a long way in replicating sounds at electronic shows, they have never been able to replace the pop and dynamism of a live drummer. Mark fulfilled these duties admirably. He communicated impeccably with Matt, seamlessly adjusting the rhythm with each improvised breakdown. He was never showy, sitting straight ahead and banging away with a smile on his face, though the few shots at solos he took were all highlights.
For this tour, The Floozies were able to afford a lighting setup and thankfully chose with both imagination and taste. Five dazzling LED panels stood behind them the whole time, throwing up images of futuristic city-scapes,psychedelic plains and, of course, occasionally their logo. With the amount of things happening onstage, a visual presentation was far from a necessity for this kind of performance. However, the end product worked nicely with the boys’ music and stage work.
Song choice covered the bases of what makes the Floozies so great. Opening with the Lil Wayne-sampling “Stuntin,” they blasted though the highlights of their discography, including “Birfday Suit” and “One Word,” keeping a palpable energy running all the way through. They also trotted out some new tracks, most notably “Lady Player” that felt like a manic riff on Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean.” Focusing on heavy drumming from Mark and seriously glitchy synth work, the brothers’ new material felt fresh while still in line with what made them so fun in the first place.
The guys also trotted out some of their overpoweringly fun remixes. From the butt-celebrating “Assthem” (which throws everything from Queen to Big Sean into one twerktastic medley) to their unexpectedly epic take on Toto’s “Africa,” these numbers were placed at key moments in the set to get an awesome audience reaction. Finally, in a decision that was sure to make every 90s kid in there squeal in delight, they closed with “Body Slam,” a funk-soaked take on the Space Jam theme song. It was exactly as awesome as it sounds.
The Floozies are part of an exciting shift of EDM back to more traditional instrumentation and their epic live show is further proof that electro-funk is here to stay. The deft balance of sounds, both old and new, makes for a hybrid that feels both entirely familiar and wonderfully alien, and their lively and good-natured performance shows how much better an electronic show can be when artists get out from behind the decks. This is the kind of show that music fans of all scenes could dig- the only requirement being an open mind and a willingness to dance.
Photos by Chandler Philpott