Main Squeeze comes home for funky performance

They describe themselves as a “raging funk experience,” and rage they did.
On Friday, funk-rock reigned supreme at Bluebird Nightclub as the Main Squeeze returned home to perform for a crowd of eager Bloomington fans.

The show opened with Halfway Knocks and Marshall Robbins and the Phunk Nasty’s, andThe Main Squeeze kicked off its set with a rousing rendition of “Where Do We Go?” from their self-titled album. The song featured an impressive guitar solo by Max Newman, and the band’s high energy and interaction with the fans got the show off to a wild start. 

Songs like “Mama Told Me” and “Ebaneezer” featured the jazzy vocal styles of lead singer Corey Frye, and the light show accompanying the songs made the entire set a visual and audible joyride.

Formed in 2009, the group consists mostly of IU graduates who met on campus. The group originates from all over the United States, and keyboardist Ben Silverstein said it contributes to the band’s eclectic sound.

“When we started, we sounded like five individuals, but, over time, we’ve fused into one band,” Silverstein said. “We use our separate influences in our own music, but now it has a full sound as opposed to five people.”

The band draws inspiration from musicians Stevie Wonder and Led Zeppelin and genres punk rock and electronic music. Drummer Reuben Gingrich and bassist Jeremiah Hunt majored in jazz performance in college and incorporate that style into the band’s overall sound.

Gingrich said the band puts a lot of effort into creating a set list and using new ideas for their live shows. He said they strive to make each performance a unique experience for their fans. 

“We try to switch the set lists up. We write new original songs to play live,” he said. “We also try to look back at what we played the last time at that venue and not play the same songs again.”

The band has done some major traveling in recent years, playing a set at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn., and competing in and winning an international battle of the bands held in China.

But, the group still has nothing but love for Bloomington. Having played at the Bluebird 30 to 40 times, Silverstein said they still count it among their favorite places to perform.

The Main Squeeze moved to Chicago about six months ago and has taken up a weekly residency at Martyr’s, a restaurant and music venue. They plan on touring the Midwest through January, followed by the East Coast in February. They are also scheduled to stop in New Orleans for a Mardi Gras jazz festival. The band will return to Bloomington on Feb. 2 for another show at the Bluebird.