After a brief administrative snag, we made our way into the Paradise midway through the OM trio's set. This threesome fiercely demonstrated the possibilities that may result from a keyboards/bass/drums combo. The OM trio's focus was assuredly on the drums, with the bass sparsely punctuating certain beats, and the keyboard offering textural overlays to the soundscape that was being created. The trio's minimalist approach to groove fit well with the two guest turntablists that joined them for their set: Mister Rourke and Jet-C. Between the keyboards and two DJs, the OM trio (now, technically, a quintet) spun a web of thick and gooey grooves that delicately balanced a distilled low end and a frenetic mid-range of records, keys, effects, samples, synthesizers, and other unworldly sounds. It was very easy for one's head to get stuck in their web, to allow oneself to cling to the snap of the drum kit and get wrapped in the sonic vortex created by keys and two turntables. Pete Novembre, the OM bassist, appeared to be caught right there for a good portion of the set; while playing (or waiting patiently to place a very important note or two into the fabric of the web), he seemed very much taken in the groove of it all. The OM Trio's overall effect was one that placed them squarely in the camp of the new organic trance movement, their entry point being closer to jazz than anything else. Their cyclical web is designed to draw you in, and like those coin wells in shopping malls, progressively spin you into an ever-tighter spiral, eventually landing you elsewhere, al least for a while.

After a quick transition filled by Rourke and Jet-C's DJ stylings, AGP modestly walked on-stage and began to funk. Guitarist Brendan McGinn took the first number, "All About That," on his trumpet, proving himself equally adept at joining the horn section as cutting on his Gibson. The first set was a rollercoaster through time and space, including old favorites ("Juniper"), Led Zeppelin teases ("The Ocean" in "Marinate"), new workhorses ("Phrenic," which Bassist John Hall introduced as 'a doozy'), breakout Talking Heads cover tunes ("Making Flippy Floppy"), and even a recent addition to the band's Herbie Hancock Catalog, "Doin' It". The set, of course, was never short on the Funk. Keyboardist Rob Marscher was given ample attention in the mix throughout the night, which to these ears was a blessing. Marscher, more than any other element in the band, is the driving force in the AGP funk reaction. His keyboards span a more broad sonic range than any other instrument in the band, bubbling just beneath the surface until that appropriate time in which his keys make the music take a turn for the dirtier. On nights that AGP teams up with Rourke (see their newest studio album "Allophone"), Marscher will trade fours with the DJ at some point during the show for a mindbending duel, and tonight the duel extended to Jet-C as well.

AGP's overall sound is finely stitched patchwork of several instruments, including Ben Groppe and Dave Adams on saxophones (Sam Kinninger would also be included tonight for a few selections). The horn charts are very tight and the horn execution is nothing short of funk precision. Adams' and Groppe's harmonized staccatos could pierce kevlar. Moreover, each is an accomplished soloist, capable of lifting matters to frenetic levels rather quickly. However, there are segments of exploration between Marscher, McGinn, Hall, and drummer Andrew Keith that the horns' voices are lost. It usually happens when song structures begin to give way to uncharted jamming, Adams will get his dance on and Groppe will tuck himself into the corner, eyes closed and head bobbing. To these ears, Addison Groove Project's next great challenge will lie in finding a role for the horns in their jamming outside of solos and composed parts.

As always the AGP experience was an overwhelmingly positive one. If anything were to diminish the evening, it would be the Paradise's staff, which was something outside of the band's control. Ever since the entertainment and media behemoth Clear Channel assumed ownership of the Paradise, the venue has tightened up more than is comfortable for many fans. The venue runs on a much more strict business model, and I thank the powers that be that AGP is still able to book shows there with a reasonable ticket price, their fans not probably not bringing in as much beer money as other (less talented) bands. Caution to any music fans who frequent the Paradise: there are plainclothes security people walking around the venue looking for excuses to haul people out. Too tipsy? Too boisterous? Handing out handbills? Prepare to be walking up Comm Ave. I watched it happen no less than five times throughout the night. And don't even think about drinking anything if there's a big X on your hand or smoking anything other than cigarettes. I would hope that AGP starts to look at other venues in the city (the Roxy?), as the Paradise, for the first time, left a bad taste in my mouth. (And yet, despite a pat-down worse than those at the airport, my friend walked in with his Leatherman knife on his belt. Go figure.)

Addison Groove Project has accomplished a great deal in their career, and their biggest step up is in directly in front of them. The band is fairly young, and only now are all its members graduating from college. As such, the band is on the brink of vaulting into a professional full-time touring schedule, which will assuredly imbue them with new powers of musical telepathy and push them in unforseen directions. It will be a time for the discerning listener to keep an eye and two ears on this band, as significant changes are afoot. The transition to full-time will also take AGP farther and farther away from Boston more and more during the year, which is good news for the rest of the country, but bad news for all who worship at the altar of funk, groove, and jam here in Boston. For funk's sake, let us hope that AGP hometown shows such as these continue to be regular gigs.

-David Taus