The Accountant and All-Thumbs, Phunk Musket, and a DJ Duo Put on a Show at Redgate

The three acts offered pop, rock, and rave last Friday, giving Redgate-goers a little bit of everything.

Words by John Turnham / Photos by Hollis Mehling / Graphic by Lion Edrich

As another night at Redgate began, The Accountant and All-Thumbs kicked things off at 10:40 p.m. with Vampire Weekend’s 2008 hit song “Campus”, one of three covers the band would perform. The collective — founded by producer/songwriter Eric Timlin — featured Timlin on bass guitar and vocals, backed up by a keyboardist, and The Garage Lights’ duo of Ben Webster on electric guitar and Oji Anderson on drums.

As the venue began to fill, both the crowd and the music turned up the heat. The group marched through their biggest hits, displaying a vast range of emotion and musical style, incorporating bits of bedroom pop, alt-rock, hip-hop, and fuzzy lo-fi. Before the final song, Timlin appropriately stated, “We are rapidly approaching the last song and I feel just as bad about it as you do.” Overall, The Accountant and All-Thumbs managed to cultivate a palpably positive energy and compelling sound as the first act of the night.

Ben Webster (guitar) and Oji Anderson (drums) playing with The Accountant and All-Thumbs. Photo by Hollis Mehling.

Next up, Phunk Musket took the stage at around 11:15 p.m. and switched things up a bit. Off the bat, the three-man band established a heavy, progressive rock-infused sound. The soundscape was both jagged and virtuosic as agile drum fills broke up shiny guitar lines. It was evident that the band had taken a few notes from the likes of Black Sabbath and King Crimson, whilst also giving their style a new-school alternative flair. 

The band then brought their sound into the 21st century with their performance of their newest single, “Feeling Red,” in which the song's protagonist divulges their mixed feelings surrounding a past relationship. A hefty bass line and lowkey vocals contrasted nicely, establishing an energetic yet comforting sound, and everyone listening felt the music.

An obvious standout came when Phunk Musket performed their second cover of the night, an extended, epic, hard-rocking version of Bill Withers’ 1971 classic “Ain’t No Sunshine.” The group enlisted the help of guitar player Jack Monte, founding member of the beach/indie rock group, All Day Special. With an added guitar player in the mix, solos were traded off, and auditory euphoria was achieved. 

Phunk Musket grooving out at Redgate. Photo by Hollis Mehling.

Last but certainly not least, the DJ double act of Heathey J and Sammy J presented an electric mix of hard house, dubstep, and dance to a smaller-scale audience towards the end of the night. The 45-minute set starting at 12:15 a.m. turned the energy all the way up as the two DJs double-teamed a deck and Macbook to produce a seamless mix of bangers. 

The only minute of downtime occurred with the accidental unplugging of a cable, but that moment was inconsequential, and the energy was restored almost instantly with a buttery smooth buildup into the next track. Heathey J and Sammy J navigated through dance staples like PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” Flume’s remix of “You & Me” by Disclosure, “Harlem Shake” by Baauer, and Martin Garrix’s “Animals”, putting their own spin on each track. As the night came to a close, the two performers had clearly proved their bag was deep, crafting an engrossing set that entertained until the very end.