Invisible Familiars, a quirky psyche-folk-rock group led by New York multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter Jared Samuel, just finished up a three week Friday night residency at the recently opened Bar Lunatico in Bed Stuy. The group performed songs from their upcoming debut album, Disturbing Wildlife, which will be released on January 27th via Other Music, and a series of covers to which they added their own freaky spin.
Samuel has been moving around the New York music scene for a minute – he and Invisible Familiars live band members Robbie Mangano and Tim Kuhl perform with Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl as The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger.
For the Invisible Familiars’ final Friday show at Bar Lunatico, Samuel was joined by Jordyn Blakely (drums and vocals) and Noah Berman (guitar). The trio powered through butt shaking boogie cuts like “Clever Devil,” the first single from Disturbing Wildlife. The intimate, candle-lit bar was a perfect setting for the band’s brand of creepy rock; shadows splayed across the room as Samuel breathed out lyrics such as, “He’s a ghost dressed in leather, better not speak his name” and the hushed crowd tapped their feet and nodded their heads accordingly.
The band also added their own boogie spin to two classic cuts from the ’80s: Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” and The Cars’ “Drive.” At the end of the night, Samuel was joined on vocals by Bar Lunatico proprietor Richard Julian (a musician in his own right) for a rousing, Invisible Familiars-style version of folk singer John Prine’s “Come Back To Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard.”
Feeling depressed you missed out? Don’t worry. Invisible Familiars will appear at Baby’s All Right this Friday, January 30th, to celebrate the release of their first album.
Check ’em out!
