Guitarist Denis "the Menace" Cisneros hinted at Afropop, Funkadelic, Santana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; the rhythm section locked down a watertight groove highlighted by Carlos Conway's Ohio Players/O'Jays-like bass snap, crackle and pop; and Lucas' commanding vocals blossomed into some otherworldy, Arabesque vocalizing during "Rebel," billowing around a guitar figure from Cisneros that seemed divorced from any discernible pattern or meter.
All that, and the band - whose core members met at church - is barely six months old. Neon Collars has already opened for Erykah Badu at the Arena Theater, released an EP (Chasing Strange, available on CDBaby) and is working on an album.
So what are you doing with your life?