Kung Fu does not traffic in nostalgia. The Connecticut quintet formed in 2009 from late-night sessions at a New Haven bar, drawing on the Headhunters, Weather Report, Earth Wind & Fire, and the jazz fusion of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever — and what came out of those sessions is something live audiences have been calling “lethal” and “jaw-dropping” for over a decade. They bring it to Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs on Friday, December 18, with Syracuse’s Sophistafunk opening the night.
About the Show
Kung Fu’s five members — Tim Palmieri on guitar, Rob Somerville on tenor sax, Beau Sasser on keys, Chris DeAngelis on bass, and Adrian Tramontano on drums — come out of the Northeast jamband circuit carrying serious pedigree: Palmieri and Tramontano played together in The Breakfast; Somerville arrived from Deep Banana Blackout. Their 2016 album Joyride was the first recorded with this complete lineup. Relix magazine called the quintet “more than the sum of their parts from the start” with an individual identity that has held across a decade-plus of live shows. Audiences have described the experience as “lethal funk,” “explosive,” and “jaw-dropping,” and the band has backed those descriptions at festivals from Disc Jam to Wanee to Wormtown, where they played as recently as September 2026. This Saratoga stop is the first night of a quick two-night run; Bridgeport, Connecticut follows on December 19.
Opening is Sophistafunk, the Syracuse-based trio who describe themselves as “Rage Against the Machine meets The Roots, dipped in P-Funk.” Emcee Jack Brown handles frontman duties and conscious messaging; Adam Gold plays four vintage keyboards simultaneously and beatboxes; Emanuel Washington, a gospel-trained drummer, pulls from neo-soul, deep house, and reggae without losing the pocket. Touring saxophonist Tommy Weeks from Funky Dawgz Brass Band rounds out the live lineup. Since 2012, the band has built a following from New York to New Orleans, with festival credits at Electric Forest and Camp Bisco and a Super Bowl event in Tempe, Arizona. Guy Fieri featured them across multiple Food Network programs and called them his “favorite band” — a credential that says something real about how Sophistafunk travels well outside the festival circuit.
Venue & Logistics
Putnam Place is a live music club in Saratoga Springs, serving the capital region. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for the 8:00 p.m. show. This is a 21+ event.
Tickets
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show. Buy tickets.