Vermont-based Twiddle mesmerized a sold-out crowd for their debut at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, further securing their stronghold in the world of jam. This genre-bending group consists of four incredibly talented musicians who blur the lines of jazz, bluegrass, reggae, and funk, and consistently deliver enthralling performances filled with imaginative lyrics and blissful melodies.

NYC’s TAUK set the tone for the evening with their unique blend of heavy instrumentals, firing up the crowd with an energetic cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” and later finishing with a heavy rock rendition of The Beatles’ classic “Eleanor Rigby.” The room then quickly filled with devoted Twiddle fans, eagerly awaiting this milestone appearance.

Opening with “Blunderbuss,” guitarist Mihali Savoulidis announced the tune was from the upcoming album “PLUMP Chapter Two” – the highly anticipated follow-up to the most recent release “PLUMP Chapter One.” A tasty debut, indeed! They then wasted no time in delivering the adored sing-along “Beethoven & Greene,” with Savoulidis crushing the finger work with the ease that only comes from being a master at your craft. Next up was the bluegrass-infused, “Dusk Til Dawn” which beautifully showcased drummer Brooke Jordan’s vocal abilities.

“Blunderbuss” (debut)

The reggae vibes of “Polluted Beauty” were kicked up a notch when special guest Matisyahu sat in for “Lost in the Cold.” The crowd went wild for his rap-style lyricism and even more so when he stripped out of his jacket and button-up to dive into the sea of fans. Afterwards, they debuted “King Without a Crown” with Matisyahu, again, crushing the vocals, and rounding out a glorious first set.

“King Without A Crown” w/ Matisyahu

Set two kicked off with the butt-jiggling tune “Grandpa Fox,” which gave way nicely into the wobbles of fan-favorite “Apples,” lead by the mind-bending bassist Zdenek Gubb. This jam brilliantly interlaced Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” and “Smooth Criminal,” and the crowd was eating it up. Yes, ‘you gotta like apples, man!’ The good vibrations of “Syncopated Healing” had the entire dance floor shaking, and when keyboardist Ryan Dempsey and Savoulidis delved into an extended duet, the crowd was in awe. The pair was equally impressive in “Frankenfoote,” with Savoulidis shredding the guitar (and faces) and Dempsey owning the keys with mad scientist-like enthusiasm.

The encore featured “Zazu’s Flight” and the heartfelt tribute “Hattie’s Jam” into “When It Rains, It Pours.” Just in time for Mother’s Day, the night was capped with a dedication to all the mothers of the world, including some of the bandmates’ moms who were in the audience. The feel-good emotions of the evening came in like a rolling wave during this touching sendoff, and there’s no doubt that all left with hearts fully PLUMPed.

Be sure to check out Twiddle at their very own Tumble Down Festival this July. The lineup for this inaugural event was just released and can be found here.

Relive the memories from last night with the magnificent photos in the gallery below, courtesy of Andrew Scott Blackstein!

Twiddle @ The Capitol Theatre 5/7/16:

Set One: Blunderbuss[1], Beethoven and Greene, Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Polluted Beauty, Wasabi Eruption -> The Box, Lost In The Cold[2], King Without A Crown[3]

Set Two: Grandpa Fox, Apples[4], Syncopated Healing, Frankenfoote, Collective Pulse

Encore: Zazu’s Flight[5] > Hatti’s Jam -> When It Rains, It Poors

Show Notes: This show marked Twiddle’s debut performance at the Capitol Theatre. The show was sold out. The show was webcast via Nugs.tv. Tauk opened the show. The pre-show featured Holly Bowling and had Ryan sitting in during her rendition of “Harry Hood”. Twiddle’s entire show was dedicated to Mom’s in celebration of Mother’s day which was the following day.

[1] “Blunderbuss” was a debut. Mihali stated it would be on their upcoming album “PLUMP: Chapter Two”.

[2] “Lost In The Cold” featured Matisyahu on vocals.

[3] “King Without A Crown” featured Matisyahu on vocals and was a debut.

[4] “Apples” contained “Beat It” (Michael Jackson), “Billie Jean” (Michael Jackson) and “Smooth Criminal” (Michael Jackson) teases.

[5] Prior to “Zazu’s Flight” there was an “A Thousand Miles” (Vanessa Carlton) tease from Ryan.

[Setlist via UTwiddle; Videos via William Corcoran]