The first thing you notice about a Con Brio show is the crowd. Smiling faces aren’t buried in their phones, but are rapt to the stage. Before a recent club show, a fan base that spans generations mingles and reconnects after a long pandemic layoff. Friends and acquaintances share stories of past shows and festivals and settle on a common refrain: “We’re all lucky to be here.”

The band comes out fiery, “Like a party punk version of Sly & The Family Stone” (Consequence of Sound). Horns, guitar, keys, bass and drums get the crowd moving and set the stage for vocalist Sarah Clarke’s entrance. With a voice that’s equal parts Etta James-rich and Janis Joplin-raw, Clarke’s vocal ties the musical room together. Nimble and assured, the band weaves through a setlist that mixes rockers, dance jams and soul (power)-ballads. The arrangements are variably tight and expansive, often breaking loose from verse-chorus form to spotlight the virtuosity of the band and its individual players.

When you experience a Forrest Day concert, not only are you listening to music and the lyrics, it’s a vibe. There’s an interplay between audience and band that’s exceptional. It’s like Day and the band grab the audience and shake them around and all the while the people soak it up, volley back the energy and love it. They want to be abused with the sonic energy and super cool syncopation that spews forth from the stage with love. It’s part punk, part jazz, part hip-hop, part rock and all attitude, with amazing musicianship at its core. Day’s original songs speak to modern life and its many vicissitudes.