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Arts & Entertainment

Alberta Cross Make You Forget It's Sunday

The bluesy-rock group gives energy-packed performance at Maxwell's

Some people like to go to bed early on Sunday nights. But some people like to stop by Maxwell's. 

With London-bred and New York-based band Albert Cross headlining the night's show, it's no wonder the venue was packed on a school night.   

Brooklyn's Your Nature kicked things off at 9 p.m. with pop-rock sounds and harmonious vocals. While their voices may not be as strong separately, combine the vocals of guitarists Malcolm Perkins and James Pollis with that of bassist John Paul Frank and the music becomes more powerful. Your Nature—men of little words aside from thanking the crowd for listening and asking the sound guy to adjust audio levels—gave a pretty solid performance.

Soon after You Nature, New York quartet the Postelles made their way to the stage and weren't afraid to admit that they got a little lush before playing. "We've been by the bar too long," Postelles frontman Daniel Balk said.

Within seconds of playing their first chords, this band turned the dimly lit room into one big dance party. Playing music that is reminiscent of the old school rock and roll and kind of brings you back to the 1960s, the Postelles brings a refreshing sound an otherwise rock and sometimes-dark sound that has been on everyone's playlist.

Unlike other bands that pay homage to that era, the Postelles don't need to dress like they are from that era to show that they're inspired by it. Playing songs from their EP (which only has three tracks and one remix), the band also treated fans with other songs that most likely will be part of their upcoming debut album including "1, 2, 3 Stop."

And don't let Balk's smaller stature fool you. He's got one powerful voice that not only has a vintage vibe but also surely made every girl in the room melt. While other frontmen like to hide behind their guitars, Balk decided to put down his instrument and pick up the mic, which showed just how well he can work a crowd.

Although the band's show presence is prominent, they are pretty new on the scene. Hoping to find out what the crowd thought, Balk invited everyone to chat after their set. "If you want to say hi, or give me a punch in the face, I'll be back there," he said. "I'm available for anything."

When the band performed "Stella," two fans jumped on stage to show their own dance moves.

Alberta Cross came on at 10:45 p.m. at which point it looked like the audience had doubled in size. As people started to crowd toward the front, Petter Ericson Stakee with guitar in place rested his nose atop of the mic, shut his eyes and let his fluid vocals out. Starting with "Old Man Chicago" and "Taking Control," the set seemed to fluctuate between bluesy slower tracks to harder upbeat ones.

However no matter what song they performed, Stakee never failed to ooze passion and emotion as he sang each lyric and note. While most crooners normally grab all the females' attentions, Stakee seemed to really grab the male contingent in the room that looked entranced by his voice. Showing his musical range, Stakee tried "a real gospel song" and started 'Rise from the Shadows' acapella with tambourine in hand.

Alberta Cross also wanted to give props to the other bands on the bill by dedicating 'Song 3Three Blues' to them. They ended their set with "ATX," which was a great finish for the show. However, it slightly jilted the audience as no one expected them to end the show so abruptly.

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