Sunday evening shows can be notorious for their difficulty in drawing an audience, but the lack of an overflowing crowd didn’t cool the enthusiasm for Mbrascatu’s recent brilliant performance at the New Prospect Theatre.

Hailing from Southern Italy, by way of Portland, Oregon, Andrea Algieri (vocals, guitars) — along with Sam Arnold (6-string bass, backing vocals), Kirk Kalbfleisch (drums, backing vocals), and Sam Stewart (guitars, backing vocals) — performed in NPT’s sonically pristine Lucas Hicks Auditorium on Sept. 8. The 90+ minute set drew from songs old and new, combining Old World musical traditions with New World sensibilities.

Mbrascatu (mmm-brah-ska-too) honors a rich musical heritage. Drawing on diverse, global influences, Algieri’s compositions range from intimate ballads, psychedelic rock, and danceable pop that blend into his own unique sound, his warm baritone combining in gorgeous 4-part harmony with his bandmates.

Watch Mbrascatu perform “Pensami” at the 2022 Oak Harbor Music Festival on YouTube:

Live musical performance allows the listener to pick up on the players various influences. Sunday night featured elements from rock (Metallica), jazz (Django), classical (flamenco), and more, individual melodic brushstrokes painting a broad musical landscape. Though incomprehensible to this writer, the lyrics (sung in Italian) are clearly heartfelt, nesting comfortably in memorable and accessible tunes.

Since its founding in 2010, Mbrascatu has released four studio albums — Mbrascatu (2012), Tempo (2014), Elementi (2016), and Tutto Cambia (2021) — two 2021 EPs (Domani Lo Vedra and Inutile), and toured the world extensively. Plenty of videos exist on YouTube of various performances, but experiencing Mbrascatu live and in person is the only way to truly appreciate musicians of this caliber.

Watch Mbrascatu rock out on “A Citta” live on YouTube:

Opening the show with the title track from the latest album, Andrea and companions set a musical tone that gently gathered steam throughout the evening, culminating in a series of heavier psych-rock tunes to close the show. Certain songs by their nature demand volume but sometimes lending too much power to a song in a small, intimate listening room, can invite sonic catastrophe. That Mbrascatu achieved that balance flawlessly speaks to expert musicianship as well as the New Prospect Theatre’s wonderful design and acoustics.

Watch “Tutto Cambia” performed live by Mbrascatu on House Blend Sessions here:

Switching from acoustic to electric guitar about three songs in, Andrea announced that he’d already abandoned the evening’s setlist in favor of a little more spontaneity and resulting in several wonderfully improvised sections, with each bandmember getting a chance to shine throughout the evening. Sam Stewart’s lead guitarwork was always tasteful, never intrusive, and heavy or delicate when called for. The other Sam (Arnold) played six string bass, occasionally climbing the instrument’s neck to take a lead break, yet never abandoning the groove that he and drummer Kalbfleisch held throughout the evening.

Toward the end of the show, Andrea explained the meaning of the band’s name. Told a little disjointedly and with much hilarity, I gathered that “mbrascatu” refers to a family nickname and a grandfather who was a cobbler working in a “dirty space.” A great origin story but as it turned out, though, a total lie. Totally believable, but alas, for the real story I’ll just have to experience Mbrascatu again. And again.

Stream Mbrascatu’s 2021 album, Tutto Cambia on Spotify

For more on Mbrascatu’s music and tour schedule, visit the band’s website.

Here are some more photos of Mbrascatu performing at Bellingham’s New Prospect Theatre on Sept. 8, 2024. All photos courtesy of and copyright Mark Caicedo.