One of the most enduring original projects in Jamestown will celebrate a new milestone in a community performance this weekend.

Smackdab will celebrate 15 years of “funky soul music” with an anniversary concert at Jamestown’s Spire Theater this Saturday from 7-10 p.m.

Since forming the band, the members of Smackdab have been pioneers of the Western New York progressive funk and soul sound. Currently consisting of Jon Marc Johnson on vocals and auxiliary percussion, Matthew Baxter on guitar and vocals, Mark Cooper on keyboards and vocals, Ryan Ecklund on bass, and Daniel Witherspoon on drums, the band has developed a strong and steady following over the past decade-and-a-half; all the while continuing to push themselves as both performers and songwriters.

And while 15 years may be a sufficient period of time for many projects and endeavors to run their course, the members don’t always focus on the duration as much as perpetuating the rare and unique bond they’ve formed with one another.

“I don’t think any of us really looked at it in terms of how long we could keep this going,” Johnson said. “For me, it’s not something I do but it’s part of who I am. We’re like a family; our family just happens to make music. Every show is kind of like a little family reunion.”

Cooper expanded on the cohesive nature that the band developed through the countless shows it has performed.

“We have become a pretty tight unit playing together over the years,” he said. “We can read each other pretty well and we feed off of each other’s energy. After you play with the same group of guys so long you learn how everyone ticks.”

Smackdab was formed in 2001 by Baxter and Cooper, who opted to take their previous band, Mysterious Moonshow, in a new, more groove-oriented direction. Though it started out as an experimental instrumental band, Cooper and Baxter were soon joined by Johnson after his band at the time, Zeta Cauliflower, had come to an end. After cycling through a handful of drummers and bassists, Witherspoon and Ecklund came on board and completed the project in an ideal way.

Baxter said it has been the support of fans and the cult following the band developed early on that has allowed Smackdab to forge ahead and continue putting out new releases.

“We’ve always just stayed true to our sound, which I guess is sort of a unique sound to the area,” he said. There’s not a whole lot of progressive soul-funk coming out of Jamestown these days. Somehow we’ve lasted this long. It wasn’t easy, but we love to do it, and I think that comes across in our music. We do have the best and most dedicated fans. They are the real reason we are still doing this.”

Witherspoon echoed Baxter’s sentiments regarding the fans, adding that he hopes Saturday’s anniversary show will exemplify the spirit of the band in each of its different phases.

“I’m happy to be a part of 15 years of original music in a town where the scene is still alive,” he said. “I’m looking forward to sharing that sound with all of our fans, old and new. I hope to give the folks that attend the same funky, good time feeling that I felt when the band was just starting out.”

Growing alongside its fanbase has been its reputation for solid musicianship and a festival favorite on a regional scale. Having been a regular at the annual Great Blue Heron Music Festival, Smackdab’s members often point to that particular venue as a high point of their personal success.

“The Great Blue Heron Music Festival, hands down, is one of our absolute favorite sets of the whole year, every year,” Ecklund said. “We look forward to the Heron all year long, and count down the days until the next one begins. We’ve also been fortunate enough to play other esteemed festivals in the area like the Night Lights Music Festival and Buffalove, and to share the stage with many nationally touring bands – a large percentage of which we look up to and consider heroes – at quite a few well-known, highly respected venues.”

Tickets to the 15th anniversary concert on Saturday are $10 presale or $12 at the door. Presale tickets can be purchased at Chautauqua Music, Gialy’s or from members of the band. Gialy’s will also provide a cash bar.

The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. It is a 21-and-over show.

The Spire Theater is located at 317 E. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information, find “Smackdab’s 15th Anniversary Show” on Facebook.