Live Music Upstairs 21+

Muscle Tough & Nik Greeley And The Operators

04/16/2026 7:00 PM

Door Time: 6:30 PM

Other Showtimes

Muscle Tough, Philadelphia’s premier Futuristic Funk Fusion trio, specializes in a heavily improvised blend of modal jazz, funk, and rocking psychedelia.

Their creative use of sound design and group-minded improvisation blurs the line between their originals and the quirky pop classics they stretch out on.

"Too Busy 4 Jail" (2025) is a testament to what happens when you combine road-hardened material with hi-fi studio magic. Mixed by Grammy-winning engineer John Davis at The Bunker Studio, Muscle Tough's kaleidoscopic approach has never sounded better, from in-your-face funk fusion to Pink Floyd-dosed jazz to straight-up polyrhythmic tech-metal.

"Goes to Hell" is a love letter to the band's improvisational chemistry. This live album is entirely improvised from start to finish, without edits – a myriad of nightmarish bliss, transcendental moods & true compositional telepathy on display.

With a revolving door of guests including members of Phish, MMW, Dopapod, Lotus, Snarky Puppy, and DJ Logic, along with a reputation for their sprawling late-night sets, Muscle Tough invites audiences around the world to GET TOUGH!

Instagram @muscletoughband

Band Members:

Ross Bellenoit - Guitar

Jonathan Colman - Bass

Joe Baldacci - Drums

Nik Greeley is known for being arguably the best frontman & performer in Philadelphia, and has established himself as one of the most entertaining musicians in the area, often being compared to the likes of James Brown, Joe Cocker, and Jim Morrison.

Greeley has had the pleasure of opening for respected artists such as George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Gene Ween (Ween), Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Shuggie Otis, Bernie Worrell (P-Funk, Talking Heads), Fishbone, Moon Hooch, Andy Frasco & The UN, Rebirth Brass Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Rusted Root and many more.