The musical universe is ever expanding, and Red shift is living proof. This phenomenal foursome is 75 percent Brandeisian, with Tom Pernikoff '05 on guitar, Mike Park '05 on bass, Phil Selesnick '05 on keys and vocals and Mark Record on drums. Thursday night they played a continually growing crowd at the Stein, which was set up in the style of a comfortable lounge -- save the fluorescent glow from the outer hallway. The night had a definite concert feel (as opposed to background music for a bar). Allowing the anticipation to build, Red shift started 40 minutes past scheduled showtime and played two sets.Their first set consisted of three songs, each of which went beyond the 10-minute mark. First was a strong jazzy tune, in which Selesnick started styling with his characteristically melodic vocals right off the bat. Confident bass and drumming accompanied a happy-themed guitar solo by Pernikoff. "New Rehobeth," named after the drummer's hometown, was a hard funk rock tune. Here, Pernikoff showed the audience an incredibly cool and uplifting distortion effect, reminiscent of Phish's "Free" intro.

After Selesnick introduced the band, he provided some exciting funkafied organ soloing. The band took the song to dizzying heights at which point Pernkioff, in all his glory, was wailing back and forth, ax in hand, as his hair blew in the wind of his fan. It was truly a rock star moment. Park wowed us with a Flea-like bass solo before the song and first set finished.

They opened the second set with "Elsewhere," consisting of mellow valleys and jagged peaks. Selesnick highlighted this song with his mystifying organ solos. The subsequent happy feel that they kicked into was nothing to ignore either. "Unisex" had quite a "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" feel at the outset. The drums and bass kicked the song into high gear. This song, along with second set closer "Reduced to a Picture" -- which I think of as their Zappa sounding tune -- are their most refined and evolved tunes. Both of them are intelligently composed and have catchy refrains, leaving room for new paths of exploration each time around.

Red shift played one cover this show, the Allman Brothers Band's "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." Giving the intro their own dissonant twist, they produced an enlivening version of the ABB classic highlighted by both organ and guitar based tangents. Following a display of Record's talent on the drums, they played "Circle Search." Pernikoff and Park had some smile-inducing antics on stage as they battled it out. Meanwhile , Selesnick managed tight tickling on the ivories.

Red shift is a group of sophomores, but there is nothing sophomoric about their playing. Brandeis is lucky to have two more years of this rapidly improving act whose jams rival all the well-known acts on the scene. Be sure to check out their upcoming gigs -- this Friday in the Shapiro Campus Center in support of the FMLA and next Thursday at the Sittin' Bull in Maynard.