Vulfpeck Tickets

Who Vulfpeck is

Vulfpeck is an American funk and soul band and musical collective formed in 2011 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by musicians from the University of Michigan School of Music. A ticket buys a groove-first show from a rotating cast of players, usually in a theater or concert hall and, on a few landmark nights, in an arena. The band runs its own label, Vulf Records, and has headlined Madison Square Garden twice without a major label behind it.

Bandleader Jack Stratton conceived the group as an imagined German version of the 1960s American session bands, such as the Funk Brothers and the Wrecking Crew. The founding members are Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss and bassist Joe Dart. Guitarist Cory Wong, singer Antwaun Stanley, Joey Dosik, Jacob Jeffries, Charles Jones and Louis Cato join as music and touring partners, so the lineup on any given night varies.

How the band built its following

Vulfpeck first reached listeners through YouTube videos, then through a stunt that made international news. In March 2014 the band released Sleepify, ten tracks of silence on Spotify, designed to raise money from streams. It earned roughly 20,000 dollars in royalties over two months before Spotify pulled it, and the money paid for the admission-free Sleepify Tour in September 2014.

• Thrill of the Arts (2015): the first full album, which reached No. 16 on the US R&B Albums chart.
• The Beautiful Game (2016): includes "Dean Town," built on Joe Dart's interpretation of Jaco Pastorius's bass line from Weather Report's "Teen Town."
• Mr Finish Line (2017) and Hill Climber (2018): featuring veterans such as Bootsy Collins, James Gadson and David T. Walker.
• Schvitz (2022) and Clarity of Cal (2025): the latter recorded live on stage in Berkeley and Los Angeles.

What a Vulfpeck show is like

The band models its sound on live TV performances of the 1970s, such as The Midnight Special: a small, uncluttered mix where each instrument has room and nothing is buried. The band records live with real instruments and rarely edits takes together, and improvisation is part of how songs develop, so the stage show sounds close to the records with room to stretch. Grooves matter more than big melodies, and the bass is often the lead voice, which is why Joe Dart draws as much attention as any singer.

Guests are part of the format. The band's Madison Square Garden shows featured drummer Bernard Purdie, mandolinist Chris Thile and saxophonist Dave Koz among others, and the rotating partners mean two nights on the same tour can feel different. In 2026 Louis Cato stepped in for Theo Katzman, who stepped away from touring to focus on his solo work.

Notable tours and runs, with dates

• Sleepify Tour (September 2014): admission-free shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Ann Arbor and New York, funded by the silent album.
• Wisdom of Crowds Tour (2017 to 2019): the band's main touring run of the late 2010s.
• Madison Square Garden (September 2019): a sold-out headline show, one of the first by a band with no manager or label, released as Live at Madison Square Garden with a concert film.
• Return to touring (2023 to 2024): US and European shows including Bonnaroo in 2023 and Jazz à Vienne in 2024.
• Berkeley and Los Angeles (September 2024): six nights at the UC Theatre and two at the Palladium, recorded for Clarity of Cal.
• MSG II (2025): a second Garden headline show, released in December 2025 as a live album and film. The same year the band played Japan for the first time, at Fuji Rock.

The ticket listings on this page carry current dates.

Where to sit for Vulfpeck

The appeal is hearing a tight band interact, so pick seats for a clear mix and a view of the whole stage. Check each event's seating map.

• Theaters: the center orchestra from about a third of the way back hears the cleanest blend, and the front of the first balcony or mezzanine shows every player at once, which matters when solos pass around the stage.
• General-admission floors: common in clubs and some theaters. The middle of the room near the sound desk beats the front rail for sound, though the rail is where the energy is.
• Madison Square Garden and other arenas (the Garden lists 19,812 seats for basketball): lower-level sections facing the stage are the best seat for sound and sightlines. Sections near the stage at a hard side angle see the players' backs and lose the screens.
• Outdoor amphitheaters: center seats under the roof or in the reserved bowl keep the detail that a minimalist mix depends on; the back of a lawn loses it.

How demand for Vulfpeck tickets behaves

Vulfpeck's audience is devoted and online, which shapes when tickets move.

• Multi-night runs split demand. When the band books several nights in one room, as it did in Berkeley in 2024, opening and closing nights and weekend dates go first.
• Landmark nights draw travelers. A Garden show or a special run is treated as an event, and fans fly in for it, so those dates tighten earliest.
• The mailing list leads. The band announces through its email list and social channels, and presales or early on-sales often move much of the first allotment.
• Small rooms sell fast. Theater capacities are limited, so resale is often the main option close to the date. Resale prices can sit above or below face value.

GoodSeats backs every order with a 100% guarantee.

Before the show

Venues set their own bag, camera and age rules; check the venue's current policy before you go. Tour announcements and band news are at vulfpeck.com.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Vulfpeck
• Vulfpeck: Official site
• Wikipedia: Madison Square Garden