Afro is, from left to right, Blake Gallant (bass/vocals), Kaitlyn Connor (keys/vocals), Adam Mullis (guitar/vocals), Michael Toman (drums) and Jeff McSpadden (percussion/vocals).If You Go
What: Afro with Dank Sinatra.When: Friday, Jan. 4, 10 p.m.Where: Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St.Admission: $7Phone: 267-4644.Venue website: www.rhythm-brews.com
If Afro were a holiday instead of a band, it would probably involve a combination of Yule logs, a dreidel, feats of strength and sparklers.
The locally formed quintet are defiantly eclectic sound blending elements of everything from jazz and funk to prog rock and hip-hop. Navigating a sonic tight rope to avoid potentially fatal musical missteps isn’t easy, said vocalist/bassist Blake Gallant, but the adventurousness is part of the charm of self-discovery.
“We all kind of went in different directions with our musical choices, which is what led us to this more eclectic sound,” he explained. “It was a very conscious decision because we used to go tour and hear a bunch of bands live, and now we focus on influences and our own stuff.”
Afro released its first full-length album, “Out of the Cocoon,” on Dec. 7. The six-track album features sprawling, layered tracks gleaming with fuzzy guitar, Latin percussion, urban beats and a tight horn section consisting of pinch instrumentalists David Williford (sax) and Tanner Antonetti (trombone).