By 10pm the Belly Up Crowd was fueled and ready for takeoff. The show had been sold out, and most ticket buyers were there specifically to experience the much acclaimed Company of Thieves.  The band consists of honey-voiced Genevieve Schatz, Marc Walloch on guitar and Mike Ortiz on drums, also includes the occasional piano and psychedelia distortion.

Before the first song began, the members bled their instruments, creating a humming buzz resonate throughout the venue, heightening the burgeoning excitement. A fascinating, discordant melody introduced lead vocalist Schatz, revealing an insanely talented woman. Her voice, blending Fiona Apple sounds with a little Bjork, has incredible range, and both her lows and highs were in perfect tune the entire show. She has a voice that skips through notes, pitches, whispers and full blown bellows without a hint of transition.

Although the cute, expressive, wildly entertaining vocalist steals the show, true music aficionados can’t help but appreciate the immensely talented band. The vocals are made great by the crashing percussion and brilliant guitar playing.  The tempo and guitar chords remain a faint background additive during the beginnings of pieces, but as bridge and chorus creep up, so does the instrumentals, taking the crowd from soft, quiet to thunderous musical rushes. This increase in crescendo was most pronounced in “Pressure,” a song that actually feels and sounds like mounting pressure, converting lyrics, harmonies, and playing-style into mental realities. By the time the peak hits, you are completely entranced into the upsurge of emotive instrumentals and "listening" your stress-away. By the end of the song, I felt completely relieved, and set free, which made me want to buy a CD since the album would probably be the perfect soundtrack for traffic jams.

Yet, I didn’t buy a CD. By the fifth song, I could no longer perceive differences and the performance just seemed like one long song. Yet if a constant fusion of jazz, rock, alternative, and pop is your favorite blend – you may just enjoy hearing the same thing over and over again. In my case, I need variety, and if Company of Thieves lacks anything, it is only that. Overall they are an amazing band that has a sound that could very well go mainstream and is easily liked by all.