concert review: Sungazer plays a completely packed show at the Sinclair.
january, 16th 2025 • the sinclair • boston, massachusetts
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Originally forming in Brooklyn, New York, Sungazer is a progressive jazz fusion band that was formed by drummer Shawn Crowder and bassist Adam Neely. Their sound combines elements from jazz, progressive metal and electronic music. Touring members have included Jared Yee (saxophone), Joshua de la Victoria (guitar), Shubh Saran (guitar), Button Masher (keyboard), Pier Luigi Salami (keyboard), and Christian Li (keyboard). Since 2014 they have released two Eps titled Sungazer, Vol. 1 in 2014 and Sungazer, Vol. 2 in 2019. They have also released two albums since then titled Perihelion in 2021 and their most recent release Against the Fall of Night in 2024 which features singles “Cool 7” and “Against the Fall of Night.”
It wasn’t a surprise to me that the audience at The Sinclair mainly consisted of Berklee College of Music students. The band has a very unique way of combining different genres of music (ones that you would not think work well together) and making them into extremely complex and ear-catching tunes. I’ll be super honest, I’m not the demographic for jazz fusion music, yet there was no denying just how talented all of these musicians truly are. I heard sounds, melodies and riffs that I have never heard before and many of them will stick with me for a while. The show was sold out, people were packed from wall to wall as they all happily enjoyed the experience that Sungazer had curated for all of us. The set started out with single “Against the Fall of Night” which then morphed into one of their older, shorter and more electronic sounding (thinking video-game-like) song titled “Sequence Start,” before bringing back to “Cool 7,” one of the newer songs they released. The group has such a unique way of combining fast guitar riffs with a saxophone, that although it doesn’t sound the same, the pairing reminds me a lot of Ska music, a genre that I understand just a little bit better. Although jazz fusion is never a genre I go out of my way to listen to, Sungazer has elements for everyone and if you ever go to a show there is no chance you’ll walk away not entertained or thinking they aren’t talented musicians. They all have an intense understanding of their respective instrument and they found a really interesting niche where it can all fit together, even you wouldn’t expect it to.
