Sophistafunk doesn’t fit in a genre box, and that’s the whole point. The Syracuse trio has spent the better part of two decades fusing East Coast hip-hop wordplay with heavy synth funk and live jam-band looseness — the sound one writer famously pinned as “Rage Against the Machine meets The Roots, dipped in P-Funk.” On Friday, June 26, they bring that party to Buffalo Iron Works, and this one’s billed with some serious friends.
About Sophistafunk
At the core, this is a three-man operation. Frontman and emcee Jack Brown handles the conscious, lyric-forward rhymes — the kind of wordplay that draws comparisons from Mac Miller to Michael Franti. Adam Gold is the mad scientist of the group, stacking vintage keyboards to play synth bass and melody at the same time, occasionally beatboxing while he does it. Emanuel Washington, a gospel-trained drummer and singer, pulls neo-soul, deep house, and reggae into the rhythm section. Lately they’ve been touring with saxophonist Tommy Weeks of the Funky Dawgz Brass Band, which only widens the sound.
They’ve earned their road stripes the hard way — multiple sets at Electric Forest and Camp Bisco stateside, plus BoomTown and Shambala across the pond. There’s also the Guy Fieri connection: the band became regulars in his orbit, appearing on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and landing a recurring spot on his game show Guy’s Ultimate Game Night. Eclectic credits for an eclectic band.
For the Buffalo date, Sophistafunk features Mike Gantzer of Aqueous, with DJ Kimonofoxx of Grub also on the bill — a lineup that should keep the floor moving all night.
About Buffalo Iron Works
Buffalo Iron Works sits at 49 Illinois Street in Buffalo, deep in the Cobblestone District, and it’s one of the more dependable rooms in Western New York for catching a band that actually sweats over its live show. General admission means the floor is yours — and for a group that thrives on crowd energy, getting close pays off.
Tickets
This is an 18+ general admission show. Doors open at 8:00 PM with the music starting at 9:00 PM. Advance tickets are $15; day-of jumps to $20, so grab them early. Get your tickets here.