Brooklyn’s psychedelic-pop-soul-rock quartet Hysterics brought their frenetic energy to Bowery Poetry Club on Saturday night.

Sometimes you see onstage freakouts that seem premeditated, however, while the young men of Hysterics know exactly what they’re doing on stage, their shenanigans don’t come across as insincere. In their exuberance, you see a bunch of guys who probably grew up pouring themselves into music, plunking out notes or beats on their respective instruments.

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When they took the stage, my friend turned to me and whispered that Charlie Klarsfeld (vocals, guitar) was probably a reason people came to see the band. It’s true–he’s a captivating guitarist to watch and was sporting spiffy attire. Beyond stage presence, the kid just knows how to wail. But unlike some bands where some people play the rest of the Police for the one Sting, all of the members hold their own.

Oliver Ignatius (vocals, guitar, keys) flailed around the small stage with all of the–pardon the pun–hysterics of a down home preacher bewitching a congregation. In a moment of passionate rocking rage, he stepped away from the mic and yowled out notes that were still slightly audible to me at the back of the room. Geoff Turbeville (drums) and Josh Barocas (bass) were more subdued in presence, exchanging looks with one another and being good old-fashioned groovemasters, connecting on a higher plane. They’re inside of the tunes, an ingrained groovability making them much louder, cooler cats.

Hysterics played a fair share of new songs, like the speedy, soulful “Retribution,” which Klarsfeld remarked Ignatius wrote “because the devil exists,” the jazzy jammer “Seven,” and “Fill that World.” The new material displays their progression in terms of songwriting, fluidly interweaving more genres into what are essentially catchy pop tunes that make you sing and dance. They also performed the Beatles-esque “Potato Famine,” “Ascend Again,” and “Mostly Untitled” off of their album.

I remember seeing Hysterics a few years ago and thinking that they had a lot of, as much as I hate the word, “potential” to make it big. Back then I dug the winding “Radical Chic,” which was even better this time around. After seeing them last night for the first time in a while and hearing newer material live, I think Hysterics could be the future of music because they’re smart musicians who hearken back to great music from the past.

The debut self-titled record from Hysterics (which hit my year-end list) is now available on Amazon, iTunes, Rhapsody, and eMusic.

If you’re heading to the SXSW festival, you can check them out at Maggie Mae’s on Wednesday, March 12th at the eMusic showcase alongside Frightened Rabbit, Delorean, Office, Day for Night, and Peel. Check out their song “Radical Chic” below.

Tags: Hysterics, SXSW, mp3, show review //