The scene at Bishop’s Lounge this past Friday was surprising: the space was small, and the lights were dim.

Three floors up from the moonlit streets of Northampton, the mood was low-key-what kind of band would be filling this modest room?

The Wolfman Conspiracy, a boisterous and flamboyant caravan of power, reveled in the dim light on Friday, Oct. 1.

Starting their set around 11:30 p.m., this group of sharp-dressed people turned a quiet and small room into a loud and small room, packed tightly with people fighting for room to dance.

The cup was filled to the brim on the first night of October.

Taking to the stage like a pack of wolves, The Wolfman Conspiracy had plenty of groove, and this is to be taken literally. 

People had to actually try not to dance. From the first song till the encore, the crowd was swept off their feet.

A “power-reggae” band by their own dubbing, the local eight-piece is comparable to other bands with a reggae foundation, except the Wolfmen had their own recipe.

Keyboardist Nick Gingras’s weapon of choice is the Hammond organ, but he also used two or three different types of synthesizers, adding a unique edge to their music. Gingras’s virtuosic touch on the keys was a huge part of The Wolfman Conspiracy’s sound. 

Lead vocalist and guitarist Dom Mazzoli’s charisma and righteous voice are worthy of recognition.  He never failed to chat up the crowd and his heroic island yell is what brings the deeply real and human vibe to their music.

The Wolfman groove is why you dance, but Mazzoli’s voice is why you actually listen. 

The band had a brilliant and extroverted energy on Friday with an intensely physical performance. But despite this explosive energy, moments of introversion and abstract variation were present as well, as the Wolfmen would often change tempo, allowing a calm to settle over the din, or a turn would be taken that wasn’t expected of this eight-piece steamroller.

Also putting on a stunning performance at 10:30 p.m., before the Wolfmen was Timbre Coup, a four-piece progressive rock band from Albany, N.Y..

Mainly an instrumental band, the soul of Timbre Coup bled through sincerely and incessantly throughout their set. Every minute of their performance was fascinating: beautifully colored twin-guitar harmonies made fleeting appearances like rare animals, bass lines meandered and twisted like snakes and the drums slashed away like a confident guide, cutting the path clear so the rest of the spotted animals could run their dazzling course uninhibited.

The Wolfman Conspiracy and Timbre Coup lit up the dim room at Bishop’s Lounge last Friday. At the end of this marathon performance, during which the Wolfmen covered Stevie Wonder, Flight of the Conchords and the Notorious B.I.G.,, frontman Dom Mazzoli let out final words that summarize The Wolfman Conspiracy.

“We are The Wolfman Conspiracy. We love you. Yes.” 

That is the creed of the Wolfmen.  Seeing a show of theirs is without question recommended.           

Alex Andreosatos can be reached at [email protected].