The AFP Holiday Celebration, which starred Chris Hurd from the NYC alt rock band Tucker Woods, rock/funk group Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe, southern rockers Kurtz, singer-songwriter Lachi and Barry Komitor of Bad Faces, took place this past Wednesday at the Bowery Electric. With the walls decked in strands of tinsel and string lights, the last show of this year’s Homegrown series brought everything from Southern-tinged rock to soulful funk to the stage.

Chris Hurd, who usually plays guitar and sings for the band Tucker Woods, took to the mic without his bandmates drummer Donald Pusateri and bassist Devang Baheti. To open the evening, he played an acoustic set of both Tucker Woods tunes and original work as well as an unexpected cover. Hurd’s set included a stripped back version of the new Tucker Woods single “Sleepwalker” and “Alright” off of their debut EP Tucker Woods. He played through the cheers and shouts for “Freebird!” from his friends and fellow musicians. Hurd’s own song “Light It Up” was a strong point in the set, as was his cover of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis.

The next act up was Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe. They opened with “I Am American” and brought a well-informed political edge to the evening. The band’s second song “Punanny Politixxx,” added gender politics and reproductive rights to the conversation. To a backdrop of funky bass, saxophone and drums, leading lady Shelley Nicole belted her way through the equally uplifting “Box,” losing her Santa hat in the process. Her performance was so dynamic that it was easy to lose track of saxophonist V. Jeffery Smith, bassist Ganessa James and drummer Matsu. Their performances although talented dwarfed behind Nicole, who drew the majority of the audiences eye with her white and black unitard and bubbly stage presence.

Lachi and guitarist Dan Wilga

Up next was New York’s own Kurtz. With John Kurtz himself on guitar/vocals, Matt Brandau on bass and Bill Dobrow on drums, the band played a selection from their new record Kurtz, which was released off of Lazy Fox Records that night. From the opening track “Finer Feelings” forward, Kurtz’s catchy, southern-influenced rock filled the room. “Blonde Leading the Blind” and “We Were Fine” were two noteworthy points in the set. Over the course of the evening, the band played through the majority of their self-titled record, including the songs “Fur Trapper,” “A Little Mean” and “Anytime.” The latter track was a slower jam that crescendoed into a crashing finale.

Lachi delivered one of the night’s most powerful performances next. From “Unforgettable” to
“Champion” to “Boss,” there was such determination in the singer-songwriter’s set. Lachi, who was accompanied on stage by her guitarist Dan Wilga, reached out and swung her arms through the air punctuating her songs and thus cultivating quite the presence on stage. In comparison Wilga seemed rather stoic, standing and strumming away at his Takamine. Lachi seemed perfectly comfortable in front of the mic and even more comfortable with her own voice. “I’ve Decided” really showcased her ability to push herself, but not beyond her abilities. Lachi then launched into “It’s Our Time,” which she announced was her new single that was just released on iTunes. She ended the set with the equally impressive and powerful “Over It.”

Barry Komitor and Brian Stollery of Bad Faces

Last up was AFP’s own Barry Komitor. The AFP teacher and board member also heads up the electric Americana band Bad Faces alongside drummer Mike Severino, bassist Brian Stollery and guitarist Adam Douglass. Beginning with “Mary Lou” off of the Bad Faces album Broken Window Dressing, Komitor played a mix of ballads, Americana and original work. Next while perched on his stool, Komitor played through acoustic versions of “Ballad of John Henry” and “The Soul of a Man.” He then covered “Dink’s Song”/”Fare Thee Well,” bashfully admitting that he picked up the song from the movie Inside Llewyn Davis. Brian Stollery joined Komitor on stage afterwards and together the two played “Between Us Two” and “The Old Boys,” which are also from the Bad Faces album. The songs needed no other instrument or accompaniment other than their two voices and guitars; they fit the stripped back setting perfectly. The set was ended with the crowd favorite “Friend of the Devil” from The Grateful Dead’s 1970 album American Beauty.

-Zoe Marquedant