On my way to see Sugar & Gold last night at The Bootleg Theater, I caught the tail end of Yip Deceiver‘s set. The keyboardist was Nicholas Dobbratz of Sugar & Gold, and the guitarist and lead vocalist was Davey Pierce. You might recognize either or both of them from their work touring with of Montreal. Perhaps it was the fact that I already knew that they played with the experimental cauldron of constantly changing genres that is Kevin Barnes‘ manifestation of reality, or maybe it was the fact that Pierce constantly ventured into the audience to sing in people’s faces at an uncomfortable (lack of) distance. Either way, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. But when Sugar & Gold took the stage, I was pleasantly surprised to see the lead singer Davey Pierce take the back seat as drummer along with a backing track providing a bass line and auxiliary percussion. Nicholas Dobbratz continued to play keyboards and sing, and Phillip Minnig (aka Pam) lead the charge into the hot and sweaty jungle of disco funk, armed with his guitar, a sparkly houndstooth jacket, and white plastic-framed glasses. The band is currently touring in support of their Bodyaches EP,  the follow-up to their LP Get Wet! released last April. The video for the title track of their forthcoming EP is streaming below. An atypically slow number for the perpetually effervescent duo, the chorus provides a much needed climax for the constantly brooding verses.

Pam began the set wearing LED-lit rabbit ears that provoked a flurry of camera flashes from the front row. Whereas much of the crowd stood back during Yip Deceiver‘s set, the occasional small outbreak of timid dancing flaring up around the sides of the speakers, there was no hesitation in audience participation during Sugar & Gold. It’s hard to resist the compelling dance-y nature of disco and funk, and harder still when it sounds so cool. Pam kept the skanking on the guitar nice and bouncy, Nicholas fiddling with synths to give it an 80′s done 21st century style vibe. The way that the two interacted onstage was very easy and natural, and their harmonizing together was completely on point regardless of how much they moved around the stage. The lyrics were sexy and very catchy, and perhaps my favorite line was the chorus of the club shaking “Feels Like Fire”, where Pam freely admits:

It’s such a feeling, I can’t control myself

Got me bouncing off the walls, got me jumping off the shelf

I had a system, but it don’t work on you

Got me rethinking my plans, make me question what I am

Nicholas took turns between the keyboards and a tom drum, and at one point, Pam fell to the floor, writhing madly along with the audience while never missing a beat. It definitely seemed like the crowd was there to worship at the funky disco altar of Sugar & Gold., and the crowd didn’t stop until the very last sweaty note. Their next stop is Carbones in Monterey California. For complete list of tour dates and ticket prices, please visit their Myspace page here. Their EP Bodyaches will be released March 8th on Antenna Farm Records. Please visit Sugar & Gold’s Facebook and Myspace pages for more details.