Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall

The seven-piece alt-rock group draws inspiration from multiple genres including rock, funk, jazz, blues, and ska, featuring a unique mixture of the typical rock band drums, bass, guitar, and vocals, as well as keys and brass- namely sax and trumpet with the occasional trombone, flute, and strings. The brass brings on the jazzy, funk-laced feel, dependent on the song, while keys, vocals, guitars, and drums adapt to fit the different feel each song delivers. “It’s like if you took angsty 2000s punk rock (think like Anthony Raneri from Bayside) and put it in a blender with Ben Folds style piano melodies, threw in some jazz, added in some smooth orchestral elements, and sprinkled in a little Rufus Wainwright for good measure,” according to OK Sessions. Going from wildly upbeat songs that make the audience dance around uncontrollably (namely “Gestapo,” “Deserve,” and “That Doesn’t Happen,”) the Bastards are never lacking when it’s time to take it down a notch for the slow dance with songs like “Lightning,” “Annie,” and “Lucky to Have You.”
 Hailing from the Oklahoma City metro, the band formed in 2016, including band leader Johnny Manchild (vocals, keys), and co-founding members: Ethan Neel (drums), Ben Wood (trumpet), and James Thompson (bass). Danny McGinn (trumpet), Chris Lashley (guitar, vocals), and Logan From (saxophone) joined the lineup to complete the Poor Bastards as we know them today.