How is possible for a band without a record label or a manager to sell out Madison Square Garden? That’s exactly what Vulfpeck, a funk band from Ann Arbor Michigan, did in 2019. The concert was a glorious celebration of virtuosic talent from the band members and a grassroots triumph from their fans. Who are these guys? A bit of desktop research reveals that they mostly hail from Ann Habour, Michigan, and formed in 2011. Since then they have released four EPs, six albums, and a silent album on Spotify, titled Sleepify. Perhaps this rebellious streak is what has kept them out of the music industry mainstream, but over the years its live shows have built them into a force, culminating in the MSG show. The video is a joy to watch, like at 5’04” when the drummer grimaces cheekily at the camera as if to say, “Can you believe this?” or when the musicians – slightly goofy, multi-cultural, multi-instrumentalist, and multi-sartorial – share and swap instruments throughout the show. There is talk of the band disbanding and maybe this was inevitable – after all, where can you go from perfection?
