If you were walking around Moody Street on Thursday night, you might have seen the crowds of Bentley students piling into The Skellig. This relatively new Irish pub has always been a popular hangout for college kids and working people with its live music scene but this night it was particularly busy. That's because word had gotten around that the Boston Horns were performing.For those of you who are not funk connoisseurs, this six-piece band was nominated for the "Outstanding Funk Band" category at the Boston Music Awards last year. That night, the original members, Garrett Savluk (trumpet), Henley Douglas Jr. (saxophone), and Jeff Buckridge (guitar) were joined by neophytes, Mike Dansereau (keyboard), Dave Wolfberg (bass), and Peter Maclean (drums). Some of you may have heard of Garrett and Henley through The Heavy Metal Horns that toured around the world with Extreme back in the 90s. Interestingly enough, Garrett has even mentioned in Metronome Magazine that he and Henley met through Ricky Ford's jam sessions at Brandeis University. So that night at the Skellig, there they were, back at the starting point, but the sound they produced was ripe beyond belief. The set list was packed mostly with new songs that they had composed with Dansereau, Wolfberg, and Maclean.

The minute the sextet got up on stage and played the first note of "Blues For Ben," everyone in the Skellig backroom set their conversations aside and whistled in enthusiasm. Everyone knows how hard it is to get a Boston crowd to get up on their feet and boogie but surprisingly, it didn't take a long time for the BoHos to pump this audience up. The first climax of the night was when one dancer got so heated that he had to be stopped by the Skellig staff after performing a backflip from a chair. This little incident was enough to get everyone sitting down to join the action.

The BoHos are famous for their unique retro-modern blend of funk, soul, jazz and a little bit of R&B, a fact evidenced by the diverse set list. It was the perfect combination of sugar and spice: slow and sweet numbers like "Love Slipped On You," and faster, energetic ones like "Soundcheck Jam." Unlike most bands where one member writes most of the music, everyone in BoHo can be credited for his "wicked" numbers. Each song brought out the best in each band member and their interplay produced a harmonious explosion of funk groove. It was an awesome sight to see how each member's solos wove in and out of the songs.

More people poured in during intermission as the band took a break to refresh themselves. The only thing that saved us from the body heat was the imaginary urban breeze that the BoHos street funk produced in the room.

During the second set, they came out with "Head in the History," a popular number from their most recent recording, "Boogie Stop Shuffle." The crowd joined in with the band as they hollered the chorus, "I got my head in the history/ I got my feet on the dance floor."

Given their 20 years of experience, it was inspiring to see the sheer power of Garrett and Henley's horn performances. Their ad libs were mind-blowing and filled with passion for the genre. However, the other players were equally impressive. Buckridge's wild, yet precise guitar solos showed elements of guitar god Jimi Hendrix. Dansereau's slapping of the keyboard created the groovy vibe. Maclean and Wolfberg did a skillful job of laying down the beat and holding everyone else together. To top it all off, the acoustics in The Skellig were wonderful.

So you're starting to feel like you missed out? I understand completely. But there are several things you could do to remedy your situation. First, you could try and buy one of their albums ,but funk simply doesn't sound half as good recorded. You could also chase them around New England or catch them at the South End Jazz Festival this Saturday, but something tells me they'll be back in Waltham with an even tighter sound soon.