“Jazz fusion” (read on to learn why it’s in quotes) band Kung Fu put on one hell of a great show at Northampton’s fabulous Iron Horse Music Hall on Feb. 25. While they were the headliner, opening band, Dōpapod, was every bit as good.

When you hear the words “jazz fusion”, what do you imagine as the types of people who attend the shows? I hadn’t seen either of these bands live before, and trying to draw a mental picture of the crowd before hand, I’m thinking serious types, mostly musicians, avg. age 35. WOW, was I wrong! This was a young, incredibly vibrant crowd. It was a sold-out, all-ages show. There were kids in their mid-teens, college age students dancing their asses off, and a smattering of people of unidentified ages in the balcony.

Dōpapod spooled up the crowd with its infectious mix of jazz, rock, and reggae. This is a young band with great flair and stage presence. In speaking with band manager Jason Gibbs, I learned that all members were grads of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and they all came together with a love of different musical styles. Now, usually, that’s the death knell for a band. Not in this case. Dōpapod is the U.S. of bands – it’s a melting pot of people from different places, and different styles that came together to do something they love – in this case, play outstanding music. Eli Winderman (keys), Chuck Jones (bassist), Neal Evans (drums; also works an insane mop of hair that makes him look like a jacked up “Animal” from the Muppets), and Rob Compa (guitars & keys) have been together since about 2008. These are young guys to be sure, but they’ve got a lot of experience under their belts. They’ve played hundreds of gigs, and several festivals that include Camp Bisco, Wormtown, Tweed River, and Headyfest

Dōpapod cranked through their set that included “Freight Train”, Daft Punk cover “Robot Rock”, and a helluvaset more, without taking a lot of breaks between songs. Women dancing on tables, throngs of fans crowding the stage, who says jazz fusion is for serious 35-year-olds?

Next up, Kung Fu. Earlier, I had jazz fusion in quotes to describe this band. Truthfully, I’m not sure Kung Fu fits tightly into a single category – they’re part jazz, a boat load of funk, some '70s rock, and hell of a lot fun. Insanely accomplished musicians, all. The band formed in 2009 following a jam session in which the guys (who have played with a who’s who list of bands that includes Dave Mathews, John Scofield, Bill Evans, The Allman Brothers, Maynard Ferguson, and The Disco Biscuits) got together to have a little fun, had too much of it, and stayed together to do their thing. Since then, they’ve played notable festivals like Strange Creek, Camp Barefoot, and Gathering of The Vibes.

To say that this band has been around the block a time or two would be the understatement of the year. They know how to play, and they know how to work a room. This was a rich show, with saxman Rob Somerville working the crowd, adding humor, and keeping the set moving right along. The band is rounded out by keyboardist, Todd Stoops (who also writes many of the band’s originals), Tim Palmieri (the barefoot guitar player), Adrian Tramontano (on drums), and funkmaster, bass god of the universe, Dave Livolsi.

The band kicked into their set with the funk inspired “Bringing Up the Rear”, which was really more like listening to Parliament without George Clinton. The set continued with more of the same, including the extra long “Ventriloquist”. Then Kung Fu switched it up and got the crowd revved up with a drop-dead hot cover of Van Halen’s “Drop Dead Legs”. They skidded into “Gung Ho”, again a blend of jazz and funk, a tad heavier on the jazz end. The muddy “Junoon” jam, followed closely by a fun version of Steely Dan’s “Green Earrings”. I listened to a live cut of Steely Dan doing it when I got home, and I’d have to say I liked the Kung Fu version better than the original. Once the band wrapped up their set proper, they teased the crowd for what seemed like an eternity before once again taking the stage and then cranking out the funkalicious original, “Bopcorn”.

This was a great night, and while Kung Fu was the official headliner, both bands took it to the crowd so hard, that it was really more of a double bill!