Alex Weinstein of Agent Porridge on stage at Fredonia Opera House

On Friday April 23rd, the band Agent Porridge took the stage at the Fredonia Opera House. It was their last planned hometown performance before their relocation to Amherst, Massachusetts at the end of the summer. The band is comprised of three Fredonia State college students and one recent graduate. Alex Weinstein plays guitar and sings, Brian Bisky is on keyboards and vocals, Mike Goebel on bass, and Brett Rothenbaus is on drums and vocals.

Brian Bisky playing keyboard

About 150 people heard Agent Porridge's blend of original jazz fusion and funk that is laced with inventive improvisations. The crowd was young, enthusiastic and ready to dance. During the first set, which lasted a little over an hour, the band cut through mostly original music with a few covers thrown in. Their originals had names like "Roast Beef" and 'Long Pig" and were filled with long jazzy grooves and spacey jams. One of their covers was "Remedy" by the Black Crows and it was reconstructed into a free flowing jazz-like improv.

Mike Goebel on bass

Agent Porridge's second set was all acoustic. Playing acoustically was uncharted territory for the band. They performed three songs in the set which lasted about thirty minutes. Although it sounded interesting, it was not their bread and butter style and there were problems with the audio.

During the third and final set, Agent Porridge plugged back in and again electrified the audience playing for over an hour. They performed four original songs. The first one, "Flux", was reminiscent of the Dead in length and style with its flowing guitar and piano riffs that lasted 17 minutes. Their second song, "Detune" (21 min.), was a mesmerizing funk filled fusion piece that got the whole crowd moving. That same song then metamorphosed into psychedelia, catching elements of Santana and Hedrix.

Brett Rothenhaus playing drums

"Detune" then returned back to a scorching funky, hip jazz tune that reminded one of Medeski, Martin, and Wood. They finished the evening off with two soulful tunes which again showed off their true diversity.

If you are into original music that pulls from an eclectic range of sources and styles, then Agent Porridge is for you. They are definitely worth checking out, but you may have to hurry and catch this band before they migrate to warmer cooking waters.

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