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5 years ago
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Sylvan Esso's Lead Singer Amelia Meath Greets the Crowd. (photo by Graham Tolbert)
On a chilly November night in New York City, Grammy nominated electronic pop duo Sylvan Esso performed at the Beacon Theater for an adoring crowd of avid fans. The show which was the first of two nights featured a live ensemble of musicians for a special series of shows in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville and the band's hometown, Durham, North Carolina.
It didn't take long for the crowd to warm up and get into the groove, as lead singer Amelia Meath busted out her own slick dance moves, sporting a puffy green mesh outfit (sending a message?). Her powerful voice along with some seriously infectious beats energized the crowd inviting a party like atmosphere. Re-creating electronic music with a live band is not always an easy task, but the band was flawless, and having the saxophone up-front in the the mix was a smart choice. With that said, Amelia Meath's amazing voice is clearly the centerpiece in their songs. At one point, in between songs, she proclaimed, 'this next song is about love, surprise.' On this night, she was feeling nothing but love from the energetic crowd
While most of the people were on the younger side, I did see some grey haired, older folks snapping photos and shooting videos like their younger counterparts. The fans were very engaged throughout. Singing along to many of the more popular numbers including "Hey Mami" and "Coffee," but the set list included quite a few[...]
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6 years ago
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Traveling opens one's eyes to truths that otherwise become lost to distance, suspicions, and misinformation. By traveling, we connect with cultures and find out about crippling circumstances that may impair individuals from being included in global communications in which they should participate.
During a recent trip to Costa Rica, I found some surprising facts on the local view on art. First, I must disclose: aside from national institutions, there are hardly any galleries in the city of San Jose. Some of the residents claim an enormous problem with the few public works facing vandalism or individuals uncertain of art's purpose in a town, or even as a serious career.
It is true that cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Costa Rica and the Jade Museum boast an extraordinary dose of Pre-Columbian art and jade artifacts. MADC ( Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo) exudes a lovely exterior and has gained the public interest of many traveling abroad because it is one of the only contemporary art spaces in the city.
Upon entering the space, there were two modestly small galleries. The first had a few paintings wrapped in plastic. It seemed as though a transition of works was taking place. The second displayed smaller pieces lined up in a row or salon-style arrangements.
Towards the back wall, a larger-scaled painting with jagged angles in vibrant blues textured, ragged greens, and crisp whites stood out as a lovely landscape. Perhaps, one of Cost[...]
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6 years ago
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Most Miami art week events are drawn to glitz and glam, vying to compete for a mention in the press or passed as gossip around town as the hottest soirée happening during its short life in Miami. The majority of art fairs push old and new artist names to the public while attempting to cash in revenues from lucrative collectors. They all play a part within the same hob-snob social games commonly celebrated in art communities across the board. It's just more intensified during this time of year.
Luckily, the RFC ( Rubell Family Collection) opened it's doors to the public with a refreshing solo exhibition of Purvis Young's messy Zulu inspired, folk art and new acquisitions. Over one-hundred works were displayed, created over Young's lifespan, shedding light on "universal themes."
Although Young is a prominently dominating name in the art world and his personal affairs disclosed to the public, there is still a sense of privacy or even distance that exists between his work and the public. This space became more apparent to me as I walked through the exhibition. Because the RFC exhibition space is vast and fixed in white walls, Young's smaller works became shushed from the viewer's direct gaze, but it was precisely his genius overcast brushstrokes what gesticulated the viewer to step in and absorb the extended, languid arrangements. Similarly to his reflective persona, his gestures seem pensive, drenched in the desire to understand humanity's fate, twisted by war, suffering,[...]
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6 years ago
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Tina La Porta opens her first solo exhibition, Side Effects in South Florida on September 29th in the FAR Gallery at FATVillage Projects. The presentation is a candid oeuvre on La Porta's encounter with mental illness and her skilled approach to creating a pharmaceutical, candy-like frenzy to the viewer's eye and psyche.
Far Gallery is a long corridor of two walls facing North and South to the main entrance, making the task for any curator or artist challenging to organize works within the space without it becoming predictable. Nonetheless, La Porta and curators Vee Carallo and Leah Brown strategized the area by assembling the wall sculptures in a non-linear format, concentrating on colors, geometric designs within the works and by the story of each prescription pill.
Although La Porta is open about her way of life and how her functionality depends on the suppression her pills provide, she also comments in Indian Summer (2003) on the comfortable accessibility people have to order any prescription online. With its deceiving romantic shades of pink and old rose, Indian Summer 2003 exudes an ill feeling to a morning-after pill, direct from India without any proper instructions or what damaging side effects one is to expect from it.
From La Porta's grueling process to crush each pill, comes the construction of a larger disk or shape resembling a small tablet filled with an array of smaller capsules sprinkled in vibrant colors and delicious enough to want to bite. The scu[...]
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7 years ago
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Toronto's Broken Social Scene closed out the band's first tour in many years last night at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey. The show which lasted around 2 hours and spanned their vast music catalogue, highlighted the strengths of a band that clearly loves playing together. The beauty in what they do comes through in how they seamlessly work through songs that range from indie rock, ska, experimental jazzy numbers and even punk, but there are no limitations. They can also do the heavier, guitar driven classic jam as well. Although the band's studio productions are at a high level, they are one of those bands that you have to see live. With as many as 9 or 10 players on stage (including a horn section), it could be quite challenging to replicate some of their intricate productions, but they were 100% in sync throughout the show with a consistent energy and enthusiasm that shined throughout their performance.
One of the highlights of the evening was the first live performance of "Mouth Guards of the Apocalypse" from their latest album "Hug of Thunder" which was released with very positive reviews in July, 2017. This pretty much set the tone for an upbeat, joyous crowd that appreciated getting to see a band of this caliber at the Wellmont Theatre. The band admitted that they didn't know what to expect, but were very pleased with the venue and crowd. I have to say it was a pleasure to see how much the band was enjoying the moment.
Personal highlight[...]
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7 years ago
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It's funny when you mention bands from the past (around for over 15 years) to people, and how they typically react. You'll hear things like, are they still around. I haven't heard that name in 20 years. And then when you tell them that you're actually going to see the band, they give you a weird look like, why would you do that.
So, let me explain quite simply. Just like in any profession, with experience comes expertise and the mastering of ones craft. G Love & Special Sauce have been playing together for nearly 25 years and their experience shines through in their live performances.
With their own style of funky, blues hip hop, the band always delivers a good time, and on this night it was no different. The trio delivered a non stop soundtrack of hits that kept bodies moving throughout the night- I-76, Milk and Cereal, Baby's Got Sauce, Blues Music and Who's Got the Weed.
Let's be clear, G Love's no slouch on guitar, Jimi Jazz tears up the string bass and houseman always delivers the goods. The band is tight, tight, tight.
For the $30 ticket price, you really can't ask for more.
Here's some upcoming dates:
February 2nd - House of Blues, Boston
February 3rd - The Fillmore, Philadelphia
February 8th - Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale
More dates...
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7 years ago
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For music aficionados and the real heads that check out a lot of live shows, you know when you're in the presence of exceptional musicians, singer/songwriters. Where Mumford and Sons have in some respects brought a new wave of progressive folk music to the forefront of popularity, I can't say the results have led to many high quality bands. When I received an invite to check out the band Twain, I was a bit reluctant about attending, but after listening to some of their stuff I was ready to go.
On this night, they were playing the opening set, but it was obvious that the early crowd was gathered to see Twain, and by the end of the night it was clear they were worthy of the top billing for this show.
With 8pm fast approaching, the level of excitement was building as eager fans edged closer to the stage, and with their new album Rare Feeling dropping on October 20th, this would be the first opportunity for many to experience the new stuff live. As they got into their first song, the thing that initially caught my attention was the depth and warmth of their sound, and as their set progressed I heard glimpses of everything from Neil Young, The Doors and even The Grateful Dead.
This is the kind of music that grows on you, and as you continue to listen to Mt. Davidson (lead singer/songwriter) and the band perform, you're soon captivated both musically and lyrically. Though many of the songs deal with serious subject matter, there's an undeniable sense of enthusiasm in[...]
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8 years ago
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In some recent discussions with musicians, bands, DJ's and musical creatives, I made the point that for me, a flat performance is pretty much a worthless one. If you can't take people on a musical journey than it's just plain boring. It's the bands and DJ's that can cross genres that get my attention. Case and point, Tell All Your Friends PR turned us on to the new album from rock trio, Slothrust. After listening to the album, I decided to do a review for the blog. I have to admit, sometimes I don't get past the first track, but "Surf Goth" got my attention. The idea that they would start the album with an instrumental track was enough for me, and when the show began on Saturday evening at Mercury Lounge it was the first track they played.
Let me start by saying, their sound is on-point and very powerful. Particularly for a trio. They have great chemistry on stage, and their fans (including me) are really into them. Musically, the band members are equally impressive as they effortlessly worked through songs that range from blues to grunge with elements of jazz.
While Kyle Bann (bassist) had a continuous grin on his face, Leah Wellbaum maintained a certain attitude as drummer Will Gorin fiercely hit the skins as if it was possibly his last opportunity to play this year. Highlights from the new album- "Like a Child Hiding Behind Your Tombstone," "Mud," "Sleep Eater," and "Trial & Error," which Wellbaum explained she wrote in high school. From the older mat[...]
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9 years ago
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Montreal based experimental pop/rock band Braids are set to release the follow up to the critically acclaimed album, Deep in the Iris on May 20th. The four songs for the EP were recorded in August 2015 shortly after the band completed work on Deep in the Iris, but we're surely not talking about B sides here.
With Companion, the band continues with a similar minimalist approach musically, but as you listen to the title track which begins by deeply focusing on the beautiful soaring vocals of Standell-Preston, the tension builds as the synthesizer takes a growing, more profound role in the track. The vocals and music provide a fantastic balance of emotion in the build up, and as the song begins to fade out with a delicate piano, a whispering vocal joins in, "Remember when I pushed you in, you were surprised that you floated."
The second track, Joni, takes a more powerful, upbeat approach with its booming, break-beat musical structure. Lyrically, the song addresses dealing with life's uncertainties and the personal challenges that come with it. On the other hand, Trophies for Paradox gets back to the common topic of relationships and all the complexities that go with it. The music composition is also more complex with added guitar elements in the mix. Perhaps, my favorite song on the EP is Sweet World.
The composition of the track provides a pure energy rush as it unfolds with a driving style not found with the other songs on the EP. Overall, this is a very strong re[...]
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