Watch Sneezy's Paste Session from the Northlands Music Festival

We had a packed weekend of music at the Northlands Festival, filming a wide range of sessions for Paste Studio’s “On the Road” series. Our home base was the Maple Barn, a cozy, rustic, structure once used for maple syrup production. For the sessions, the barn was transformed into a colorful, eclectic space that honored its roots with vintage syrup memorabilia, while adding a playful modern twist: neon signs, string lights, and even a life-size cutout of Danny DeVito. It was such a pleasure recording so much music every day – but with that privilege comes the side effect of having set expectations. After recording so many bands that weekend, I had a general idea of what I would be hearing and how I would be working. No band broke those expectations like funk powerhouse Sneezy did.

During my summer working with the Paste Magazine team, I was able to help record so many ridiculously talented groups and artists, but truth be told, none of them came close to recreating the energy of Sneezy. A seven-person funk collective, the lineup reads like a roll call for a small, eclectic circus crew: Brett O’Connor (lead vocals, harmonica), Jack Holland (vocals, acoustic guitar), Austin Lutter (electric guitar, background vocals), Danny Bauer (keys, background vocals), Austin Koziol (drums, background vocals), Destiny Pivonka (saxophone, vocals), and Tom “Chops” Hannum (bass). Before they even started their set, energy exchanged between the band members was practically spilling out of the barn. It’s hard to describe what it’s like being in a room with that many charismatic people riffing off of each other, and this energy translated directly into their music.

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They began the set with a tune called “Golden Goose”, from their 2023 Flower Child EP. The song was filled with groovy basslines, jazzy, R&B inspired keys, and smooth saxophone lines. The mix of acoustic guitar with the rest of the band created a distinctly full sound, and this tune set the tone for a set that I became distinctly excited for.

The set continued with an aptly named tune “F.U.n.K.Y” from their newest record Feed the Funk. Sneezy has the rare ability to engage all five senses of the audience when they perform—my ears swore they were hearing James Brown colliding with Sesame Street, with a dash of jazz virtuosity. And I mean Sesame Street in the best way possible: the kind of infectious joy that forces a grin across your face and gets your whole body moving, whether you intend to or not. At one point, I could have sworn even the Danny DeVito cutout was nodding along to the groove.

The finale of the set was another new tune called “Sleeping in My Bed”, which felt as spontaneous as it did energetic. The song opened with banter between the band that felt so natural and well-timed that I still can’t tell how much of it was rehearsed. Either way, it captured the energy and infectious chemistry of Sneezy in a nutshell. When the song kicked off, the room filled with contagious energy, and I felt as if someone had slipped a generous amount of caffeine straight into my veins. By the time O’Connor’s harmonica solo came through the mix, it was less a performance and more a jolt of pure, playful adrenaline.

Sneezy was in every positive sense of the word, a unique band to watch. Each member of the band plays their instrument with the precision of seasoned jazz musicians, yet they wear their identity as a funk band proudly–their playful, fun personalities shine through every second they perform. Huge thanks to Jen, Mike, Seth, Greg, and the rest of the Northlands team for helping to make this session happen! Keep your eyes peeled for more Paste Studio “On the Road” sessions!

Watch Sneezy’s Paste Session from the Northlands Music Festival