There were loud howls coming from the audience even before 16-year-old electric guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer took to the stage. One fan, Molly Costa, craned her neck over the stage to get a glimpse of the setlist for her favorite artist, pointing excitedly to her Niederauer t-shirt.

“‘Taz,’ ‘prodigy’ — those two words have been said in the same sentence many times, so who’s excited?” said Rob Zaccaria, the lead drummer for the Bad Mama’s Blues Band.

On Jan. 24, Niederauer and the Bad Mama’s Blues Band brought the psychedelic ‘60s to Funk ‘n Waffles for a show that lasted nearly three hours. A modest-sized Friday night crowd packed the place to hear the classic rock sounds from both bands.

The Bad Mama’s Blues Band opened up the show by playing mostly original content off of their new album, “Steppin’ on Broken Glass.” However, they mixed in a few classic rock numbers, such as The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” into their setlist.

The local music group formed about four years ago after lead singer Emily Pastuf was told by a fellow band, Poor Man’s Whiskey, that she should pursue singing. She then began participating in open mic nights around the Syracuse area and eventually turned to her friend and bassist Zak Masoud and said, “Let’s start a band.”

Pastuf recruited three other friends, Jeff Swidoski (guitar), Will Fuegel (piano) and Zaccaria (drums), and the Bad Mama’s Blues Band was born.

The band is no stranger to Funk ‘n Waffles, as they have performed there numerous times. Pastuf cites the open atmosphere, chicken tenders and “built-in crowd” as the reasons that keep them coming back.

For Niederauer, this was not his first time performing at Funk ‘n Waffles either. Last February, he kicked off his Winter ‘18-‘19 tour at the popular Syracuse hangout spot. Pastuf is also a big fan of Niederauer and said she was excited to finally meet and watch him perform live.

“He’s very big in the music scene I like to follow,” she said. “I’ve watched him get bigger and bigger and bigger, so it’s really cool for [us] to be able to open up for him.”

Emily Pastuf is the lead singer of Bad Mama’s Blues Band. The band opened the show with a collection of covers and original numbers, including songs from its most recent album, “Steppin’ on Broken Glass.” Will Fudge | Staff Photographer

Niederauer’s set lasted nearly two hours, and in that time he transported listeners with his virtuosic guitar playing. Some songs lasted more than 10 minutes, with long, intense electric guitar interludes that deviated from the song’s melody almost entirely.

Zaccaria, a 2012 Martin J. Whitman School of Management alumnus, and the other members of Bad Mama’s Blues Band watched Niederauer perform for the first time at the concert.

“It’s really a dynamic musical journey of melody and rhythm,” Zaccaria said. “And he takes you some place. It’s kind of like a whitewater rafting trip, but it’s like you’re floating on a piece of French toast. It’s very psychedelic. It’s delicious.”

For much of the show, Niederauer’s eyes remained closed, allowing his fingers to fly over the strings without care.

“How are y’all?” Niederauer said, finally addressing the crowd. “That’s that Syracuse spirit, that Carmelo Anthony spirit.”

Alongside Niederauer were his drummer Kendall Lentz, bassist Matthew Fox and local guitarist Matthew Godfrey.

“Honestly, to be able to play with one of the future rising stars — it’s amazing to see it all progress,” Godfrey said. “I’ve been with him since he was 10 years old. I started as his guitar teacher, so I’ve seen him completely go from just the start all the way to now, so it’s really cool.”

Throughout the night, Niederauer and Godfrey would playfully try to outclass one another, experimenting with how fast and loudly they could strum. Among a litany of Niederauer’s own work, they played songs from Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley and The Beatles.

He played two original songs, “My Revival” and “Where I Belong.” His sets usually include his originals and vary based on the gig and type of venue.

Brandon “Taz” Neiderauer got the nickname “Taz” when a teacher told him that his swiftness on the guitar resembles the Tasmanian Devil. Will Fudge | Staff Photographer

In between songs, as Niederauer and his band rehydrated, he took the time to remind the crowd of one point.

“Are you guys as dehydrated as we are?” he said. “Make sure you’re drinking water. Beer is not hydration.”

The repeated sentiment reminded the crowd that he was only 16 years old. Being that young, some days, Neiderauer is studying for his AP classes and maintaining his A average. Other days, he’s travelling the world and selling out shows as a famed guitarist.

“It is hard to balance both, but if I don’t do well, I can’t play, so it’s worth it,” he said in an interview with The New Jersey Herald.

The Long Island native was inspired to play guitar after watching “School of Rock” at the age of 8. Four years later, he was cast as the lead guitarist in the Broadway production of the film. This is also where he got the nickname “Taz”: his swiftness on the guitar reminded one of his teachers of the Tasmanian devil.

From then on, the young musician has been making a name for himself, having appeared on talk shows such as “Ellen” and “Good Morning America” and having shared the stage with some of his favorite artists, like Stevie Nicks, Lady Gaga and Slash. Most recently, he was featured in Spike Lee’s Netflix series, “She’s Gotta Have It.”

As for the near future, in addition to his 2020 tour, Niederauer said his fans can expect some new music.

“We’re in the process of writing songs, and I just wanted to wait for my voice to drop fully before we release anything, because we kept on having to re-record it as my voice has changed,” Niederauer said. “But we’ll for sure have some stuff in the coming years.”

Published on January 25, 2020 at 5:18 pm