Pop Up Concert: Mark Ross and the Contraptions

Keyboard-driven and packed with extraordinary original music, this band was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Rife with odd musical proclivities, they take every left turn they can find—yet still manage to interweave hooks and melodies uncommon in the broader rock genre. And yes, it is rock. And pop. And funk. And at its weirdest, it borders on flavors of prog metal.

The band features a wily cast of characters: Mark Alden Ross is a wickedly funky songwriter, obsessed with crafting music on all manner of vintage keyboards. Ken Green brings the twang with his guitar arsenal. Jeff Walker is a hoss on bass, an instrument he built himself (as well as Ken’s guitars). Pierce Tanner holds it all together on drums, though his background remains shrouded in mystery.