It was 45 minutes into Hobex's set and there still weren't more than 29 people in the entire place, including the door-girl and the bartender. "Thanks, friends," singer/guitarist Greg Humphreys mumbled as the North Carolina threesome eased into their final song "So Long." Indeed, quality won out over quantity although the irony of playing a jam-packed set for a less than packed Brownie's audience was not lost on the band.

Humphreys, who could double for MTV's greasy cab driver Jimmy McBride and sounds like a cross between Stevie Wonder and Donna Summer, tuned out the 29 onlookers and slipped into "Feelin' a Little Down" with a 1980s porno-style guitar riff and a "dance if you want to, but I really don't give a shit" attitude. Hobex has been touring the East Coast in support of their "Payback" EP and to keep themselves loose for an expected full-length record release this spring.

It seemed that people wanted to dance to Hobex's Jackson 5 fusion with a touch of Jimi Hendrix, but nobody had the balls. The trio did what most R&B groups can't do -- play a sweet groove with an actual guitar and bass.

"This song is dedicated to the sorry sack of shit that stole my bag of goodies," bassist Andy Ware said before swallowing the last of his Guinness and launching into "Let Me Live."

Hobex, as always, were not the slightest bit predictable. The band did everything they could to revive a crowd that was dead before they walked in the door, but nothing seemed to work. Humphreys, formerly of the East Coast college staples Dillon Fence, never lost his cool or showed signs of dissapointment. Hobex remains in their own world, whether they're playing a sold-out show in t