Goodness, this summer was a DOOZY!
The heat, the news, the storms, the HEAT. Then all of a sudden here in Northwest New Jersey, someone hit the OFF switch on summer and the temperatures cooled down, the bugs went into hiding, and good music started planning some incredible fall shows and fall tours! Nothing says the end of summer like crispy leaves, apple cider, and good live music without the intense perspiration!
Let’s get right into it, shall we?
The coolest jazz, electronica, funk trio, Octave Cat has announced a couple of fall hometown shows in the Philly, PA region. Those groovy gents, Eli Winderman, Jesse Miller, and Charlie Patierno show you what happens when you mix a lil’ Dopapod with a lil’ Lotus and a whole lot of groove. You can check them out in full, including their most recent album Sprezzatura, over at their bandcamp: https://octavecatmusic.bandcamp.com/album/sprezzatura
Then check them out live!
Speaking of good vibe danceable grooves, Magic Beans have announced a full on fall tour! These guys have perfected bringing their patented blend of funk, R’n’B, rock, soul that weaves itself into a neo-jam blend to keep audiences engaged and moving. You can check them out in full on their website at https://www.magicbeansmusic.com and then head out and catch them live at any of the posted dates below!
In some EXCITING ska scene news, The Pilfers www.facebook.com/pilfers are running two incredible reunion shows next month with their original lineup in New York City with the Hub City Stompers, El Grande, The Agents, and Solgyres at the Space Ballroom and Mercury Lounge. These shows are guaranteed to be a damn good time if you are in town so I highly recommend you get those tickets!
But wait, there’s more!
Were you bumming that you missed out on all that sweet Dopapod groove all summer long knowing they are calling it quits soon? I know I was. All is not lost, friends. Thankfully, the guys have announced some good East Coast loving for us in Philly AND New York City.
Head over to https://www.dopapod.com for more info and see flyer for details below!
Speaking of rare opportunities to grab some GREAT live music, we have some outstanding ska coming out from the West coast and Columbia! Come out for The Toughers, The Steady 45’s, with Agent Jay of The Slackers and Boss Selektah doing some spinning on September 11th at Brooklyn Made! Tickets are a measly $15 so if you are in the area, you have no good reason not to get out and shake it with some damn good folks and incredible ska, rocksteady, and soul sounds!
Maybe you are a Strange Machines fan! They have also just announced some sweet fall dates complete with appropriately fall themed flyer to help get that vibe in your soul! These New England folks are a true melting pot of musical fusion, with sounds catering to funk, livetronica, rock, reggae and so much more! You can groove on over to their bandcamp page here for more!
https://strangemachines.bandcamp.com
Maybe you fancy some sweet, soaring, sometimes improvisational jamtronica goodness? Well Lotus has been out there promoting their new album How To Dream In Color (more on that in a later post) and they are catching that dance wave right through the fall! I am digging hard on this new album and I bet you will too – get out and catch them live if you can! It’s been a minute for me and I might have to remedy that on this tour…
If you are down for what has become the greatest ska festival in the entire united states, you still have a chance to get your tickets for the Supernova International Ska Festival coming to Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia this September 13th-15th! There are absolute LEGENDS on this show. I have yet to be able to make it down for this but my besties in the scene cannot stop talking about it every year – and I usually spend a few weeks pouring over their live footage and pictures and crying to myself inside afterwards! Some day…some day A Perfect Mess will be there. But anyway, YOU SHOULD BE THERE! Tickets are still on sale!
https://linktr.ee/supernovaska
Then we have some of my personal favorites from way back when, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad coming in HOT with some fall dates as well, celebrating their 20th! These guys throw down something special and I am here kinda hoping they add a date closer to me so I can go…
That is HARDLY all, folks, and I will keep updating this post as information is sent to me. In the meantime, gather those pennies and start stacking those calendars with tasty live music this fall! It’s what’s good about life!
See you out there!