(Photo: Connor McMahon)

On Friday, January 24th, Guthrie Bell Productions brought Bella’s Bartok with special guest West End Blend to the Hollow in Albany, NY for a night of glorious music and shenanigans. While the two acts couldn’t be more different musically, they somehow blended together perfectly for several hours of heart-pumping foot-stomping fun.

The wonderful folks of the West End Blend kicked off the evening. If you’re into funky beats, soul-driven rhythms, and a singer with a voice that gives you goosebumps, this is the band for you. Erica Bryan on vocals can sing like an angel and her energy on stage is nearly unmatched. Instead of steady and repetitive beats we sometimes find with this genre, the West End Blend delivers wonderful disco-flavored funk, blues, soul, and everything in between.

Shortly after West End Blend finished off their amazing set, it was time for the boys of Bella’s Bartok to take the stage. Their sound is as eclectic as their look and just as entertaining. Something really cool about Bella’s Bartok is that they incorporate props into their set, which really had the crowd excited. This band comprised of Asher Putnam (lead vocals), Amory Drennen (trombone), Dan Niederhauser (bass), Crisco (drums), Gershon Rosen (trumpet), Alex Kogut (accordion/keys), and Lucas Solorzano (guitar) has a special blend of punk rock with an old-style vaudevillian flair is unlike anything you have ever heard before. And their energy and stage presence is unmatched. If you enjoy strange, quirky, and delightful people that love to spread the message of music and inclusiveness, check out the boys from Bella’s Bartok on one of their upcoming tour dates.