Stripping, mulleted head-banging, and a dancing granny are only a few of the eccentricities that make the Bloodsugars show unforgettable as they dominate the stage, performing to a packed house at the Mercury Lounge.
Opening the show with “Cinderella,” a song off the recently released album Bqep, the Bloodsugars instantly charm the audience. An eager beat led by amazingly talented drummer Kenneth Salters pulls the crowd to its feet. Even one older woman—presumably lead singer Jason Rabinowitz’s grandmother, based on their pre-concert interaction—is dancing. Although the entire crowd is not family, with the warm welcoming they give, performing to this audience must feel like coming home for the Bloodsugars as shouting, hoots, and hollers follow every song.
Even without an eager, toe-tapping beat, the Bloodsugars would have a crowd moving on its feet with their contagiously energetic and fervent performance. Withholding nothing, they fling themselves into their performance: dancing, smiling, grimacing with intensity, and head banging. Every band member has his own style but one similarity pervades the stage: a sense of joy and effervescent energy emanates from them all, be it through the Ricky Martin hips of the primary keyboardist, Rabinowitz’s mulleted head-banging, or Salters' flying dreads as he vigorously whips his head around in a flurry of sound and motion as he wails on his kit.
But the Bloodsugars’ talent is not merely in their unbelievable ability to entertain. Band members scramble across the stage between songs, putting down a guitar in exchange for a bass, or a bass for the keyboard, or the keyboard for the synthesizer and tambourine. Everyone except Salters was in motion, altering instruments continuously throughout the set. One member, the guitarist/bassist/keyboardist, which describes nearly every member of the band, overwhelmed by the energy of the performance first unbuttoned his top shirt before eventually shedding it completely.
In addition to their ability to master multiple instruments, the Bloodsugars demonstrate a rare talent for slowing down a song before picking it up again, keeping the audience on its toes and craving more. The music swells, sweeping the audience from low to high in a nonetheless constant stream of sound. Marrying the instrumental talents are Rabinowitz’ vocals. Shooting from high notes to lows, Rabinowitz showcases his large vocal range.
At the end of the set, an animated crowd bellows for an encore only to be disappointed as the microphones have already been turned off. But despite our inability to cheer on an encore, I leave in good cheer. The Bloodsugar’s feel-good, upbeat tunes are like a sweet romance flick: they leave you smiling and contented.
