Something was up with the microphones when the Doomtree crew took the stage on Sunday night at SPACE Gallery. But P.O.S, Dessa, Sims, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, Lazerbeak, and Paper Tiger — their five-week "Wings & Teeth Tour" is their first as a complete crew — didn't let it faze them. Several members of the Minneapolis-based hip-hop hybrid hopped from the stage onto the floor, delivering their galvanizing lyrics from the middle of an adoring circle of fans, and stayed there for most of the night. The way they traded working mics, the way they flowed seamlessly through a set that lasted more than two hours and featured group and solo jams, the way they visibly appreciated each other's craft — it backed up members' claims that Doomtree is a family. And just days after Thanksgiving, it felt like we were all invited to the dinner table.

The Doomtree clan is part rap crew and part independent record label (members have side and solo projects that benefit from the group's shared resources), and it combines many disparate styles; all were on display on Sunday. From Dessa's alto snarls to Sims's energetic presence to Mictlan's intense, deep, staccato stylings to Otter's creepy narratives to P.O.S.'s erudite messages, with Lazerbeak (who offered a few solo songs at the beginning off his 2010 release Legend Recognize Legend) and Paper Tiger keeping things moving in the background, these individual elements created a room-shaking energy. When the crowd sang-shouted along, "We're all thirsty," it was for more from Doomtree.

Sontiago, onstage for the first time with Oh My Goodness (Therese Workman) and ATOMIK's Matthew Taylor, warmed up the crowd with a set that included two much-anticipated never-played songs off her upcoming album. The new line-up seems to work well with the fresh material, which was polished, dance-y, and positive.

  Topics: New England Music News , Music, Oh My Goodness, SPACE Gallery,  More more >
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