Tré Burt

Sacramento songwriter Tré Burt’s sophomore album, You, Yeah, You, is a narrated collection of songs featuring a cast of invented characters; heroes, villains, those destitute of salvation and those seeking it. The plots merge for an ultimate reckoning with the archetypal mother of these songs on the final track, “Tell Mary”, “say what you want, it’s alright child / little’s left behind / beating the drum at the wrong time / look at what you’ve done.” Like a bruised fighter, Burt goes 12 rounds in the ring against a shapeshifting and seemingly otherworldly opponent. The album represents a summoning of will to fight the unknown rather than surrender to fear and fatigue. Like his late label mate and songwriting hero John Prine, Burt showcases his poet’s eye for detail, surgeon’s sense of narrative precision and his songwriters’ ability to transpose observation into affecting verse. You, Yeah, You is a cohesive body of work that illustrates the ever expanding space in which Tré Burt’s voice belongs.From his humble roots working menial day jobs; as a maintenance technician, servicing airplanes at SFO International, taping boxes as a UPS worker, Burt has been, and always will be, a working class musician. His clear-eyed vision of America, it’s deep faults and the beauty of the humanity that resides within its borders, comes through with compassion and tenacity.Tré wrote his protest anthem, “Under The Devil’s Knee”, in 2020 which features Allison Russell, Sunny War and Leyla McCalla, in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner and the unmitigated police violence across the country. His work caught the attention of scholars and activists, namely Dr. George Yancy, Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Khalil Muhammad, and garnered an invitation to speak on a panel with the latter two at Harvard’s Kennedy School through Dr. Muhammad’s Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project.Burt finds the exported packaging of Black culture en masse tiresome, claustrophobic and boring, especially when applied to art and expression. Like literary writers Baldwin and Angelou, Burt acknowledges the limitless expanse of Black narrative. He is committed to the rich continuum of the tradition of Black expression claiming the space of artistic weirdness, often reserved for non-Black artists.Tré Burt teamed up with Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff) to produce and collaborate on his sophomore album. Brad’s brother Phil Cook (Megafaun, The Guitar Heels), label-mate Kelsey Waldon and Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath all appear throughout the 12 songs on You, Yeah You.On the first single, “Sweet Misery”, the album title acts as an appeal and a call to action; “You, Yeah You / who else am I talking to”. Burt speaks both to himself and the listener, conjuring a fighter’s scrappy disposition. The protagonist fights his shapeshifting opponent in the form of Misery, a foe whose shadow has cast darker and harder to ignore in the past year. “There is something kinda beautiful about people who are experiencing tragedy in chorus” Burt says. In this collective tragedy he recognizes the bedrock to build something new, a deepened understanding of oneself in relation to community and a well of compassion.Links: Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Drew Baldridge

Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube

Surfbort

Originally perceived as a Brooklyn based punk band, SURFBORT is proving their cult cool translates coast to coast. Channeling inspiration from the 80’s punk scene to produce rousing, explosive music, their feedback strafed, guitar-shredding music says no to a digital age full of intolerance; they radiate love and friendship.All are welcome in the SURFBORT FREAK FAMILY! Touring with The Black Lips after playing the last Coachella, the band has also played with The Dickies, Royal Trux, White Fang, The Garden, Martin Rev, Tijuana Panthers, The Mystery Lights, and many others. The band continues to hail acclaim from peers and journalists alike: “The high degree of authenticity that permeates every aspect of Surfbort’s work makes the band a “distinguishable artistic entity. Live, Surfbort is akin to a stick of dynamite that self-ignites, producing a massive eruption that encapsulates the audience in the most incredible way. The band’s energy feels far far from forced; it is raw to the point of being uncontrollably infectious.”- AMPLIPY MAGAZINE. “Machine gun volley of two-minute shards of sound that pummel you into a giddy mess while flicking two fingers to authority” – CRACK MAGAZINE. “The last (only) New York Punk band” – W Magazine. The Guardian compares the band with “The Spirit of Bikini Kill, Pussy Galore, Patti Smith and X”.It’s no wonder Surfbort was one of the handpicked collection of great bands originally signed to Cult Records, the indie label founded by Julian Casablancas of The Strokes/The Voidz. The band has recently been hand picked by Iconic rock producer Linda Perry to be part of her new partnership with streaming giant SOUNDCLOUD, starting with the new exclusive single ‘White Claw Enema Bong Hit’. The song was inspired by the band’s observation during the pandemic, of how polarized society was becoming: party against party, arguing over Covid statistics, fighting over human rights, information vs. disinformation…nobody could even agree on what the truth was.People were dying, a revolution was percolating, and most people were stuck at home watching it on TV. Meanwhile (and as always) there were these groups of tone-deaf people flexing their privilege, partying obliviously with no care in the world for the large-scale suffering on tap for most people. The band reflects this in the video with a mix of striking, aggressive but fun images that tell the story, also featuring model actress Ashley Smith and Zach Holmes from the upcoming ‘Jackass Forever’ movie. Singer Dani Miller also recently guested on the GROUPLOVE track ‘Just What You Want’ and the band collaborated with Donita Sparks on a new L7 track due out this November.Surfbort also starred in the 2019 Pre-Fall GUCCI campaign, performing at the press event and is featured in the FILM DIRECTED BY GLEN LUCHFORD. Singer Dani Miller is also the star of the launch of the worldwide campaign for GUCCI BEAUTY. Drummer Sean Powell was also Academy Award© nominee Riz Ahmed and Director Darius Marder’s INSPIRATION FOR MOLDING THE LEAD CHARACTER in the Academy Award© winning film ‘Sound of Metal’. Surfbort will be playing new music live from their forthcoming album, Keep On Truckin’ – set for release September 24th with Linda Perry’s Partnership With SoundCloud- in LA and additional NYC and other live dates to be announced shortly.Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy

There are a limited number of general admission seated tickets available along with general admission standing tickets for this show.Carl Palmer is a drummer’s drummer. A consummate professional, a brilliant technician and a dynamic showman, he has thrilled listeners and audiences alike for nearly four decades with some of music’s most memorable bands including Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Along the way his dexterity, speed and mastery of the drums, combined with his infectious stage personality, have secured for him a respected place in history as one of Rock and Roll’s greatest drummers.Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer was born in Birmingham, England, on March 20th, 1950. From the beginning it was clear that music was in the stars for the young Carl Palmer. His grandfather played the drums, his great-grandmother was a classical guitarist; and his father sang, danced and played the guitar and drums as a semi-professional entertainer. In a musical family where even his brothers picked up the guitar and drums, Carl’s fascination with music began early and classical violin studies followed, and by the age of 7 had learned to play the banjolele.As he grew older, his tastes began to broaden. He was influenced by a film he saw in 1959 entitled “Drum Crazy” (aka “The Gene Krupa Story”). It starred American film icon Sal Mineo and captured Carl’s imagination. The film set him on his way and he was hooked. His biggest influences from that point forward were Krupa and drum legend Buddy Rich, who would later become a close personal friend of Carl’s. For his eleventh birthday he received a new drum set and immediately began to study the instrument.Already a respected working drummer by 15, Carl was asked to join Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds. Farlowe and the band recorded “Out Of Time,” written by Jagger and Richards of The Rolling Stones, which propelled Farlowe to the top of the UK charts.At the age of 18, Carl joined up with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at the absolute peak of their success following the smash single “Fire” (“I am the God of Hellfire…”). In 1969, Carl returned to the UK to form Atomic Rooster. It was with Atomic Rooster that Carl enjoyed his first real success as a founding member of a band.But it would be in the spring of 1970, Carl received a phone call that changed his life forever. Keyboard virtuoso Keith Emerson from The Nice, was forming a new band with King Crimson founder Greg Lake. Immediately dubbed a “super-group” by the media, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) entered the musical arena with great expectations.The classic single “Lucky Man” became a hit, and their stage show quickly became the stuff of legend. They recorded and released five albums in four years, all of which reached platinum status. Among them: Tarkus, Trilogy, and Brain Salad Surgery.An insane touring schedule followed and the legendary scale and musicianship of ELP’s live show continued to grow. Tired from a grueling four year run which had seen the release of 5 albums as well as untold hundreds of tour dates, the band decided to take a hiatus. The material created during this period was the basis of the ELP albums Works Volume I and Works Volume II, which were released back to back in 1977. The band continued to tour and record for two more years, before disbanding in 1979.Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Aldous Harding

Aldous Harding has confirmed a run of US tour dates for 2022 alongside the announce of her new studio album, Warm Chris, the follow-up to 2019’s acclaimed Designer. Warm Chris will be released on March 25, 2022. Its first single “Lawn” is available now. For Warm Chris, the New Zealand musician reunited with producer John Parish, continuing a professional partnership that began in 2017 and has forged pivotal bodies of work (2017’s Party and the aforementioned Designer). All ten tracks were recorded at Rockfield Studios and includes contributions from H. Hawkline, Seb Rochford, Gavin Fitzjohn, John and Hopey Parish and Jason Williamson (Sleaford Mods).Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Guerilla Toss

Dig deep enough inside yourself — start treating your body as your sanctuary rather than your enemy — and eventually you’ll find yourself blooming right back out into the sun. That’s the transformation Guerilla Toss trace on their newest album Famously Alive, their effervescent Sub Pop debut. After a decade sprinkling glitter into grit, building a reputation as one of the most ferociously creative art-rock groups working, the upstate New York band have eased fully into their light. This is Guerilla Toss at their most luminescent — awake, alive, and extending an open invitation to anyone who wants to soak it all up beside them.Singer and lyricist Kassie Carlson, multi-instrumentalist Peter Negroponte and guitarist Arian Shafiee wrote Famously Alive at home in the Catskills during the pervading quiet of the pandemic year. The uncertainty of COVID-19 lockdowns and the total disruption of routine forced Carlson to negotiate with herself in new and challenging ways. “You have to be with yourself all the time during the pandemic,” she says. “I had to figure out a way to manage my anxiety. The pandemic was hard, but it helped me get comfortable inside my own body. My peace of mind came out of being thrust into the deepest shit. This album is all about being happy, being alive, and strength. It’s meant to inspire people.”The album’s title derives from a poem written by a close friend of the band, Jonny Tatelman, who supported Carlson through the early stages of her recovery from opiate addiction. The poem comprises the entirety of the lyrics to the title track, an exuberant ode to loving your own survival and charting a course into unconditional self-acceptance. “The song ‘Famously Alive’ is about living with purpose and excitement whether you’re famous or not, accepting your strangeness and thriving even if your successes look different than other people’s,” notes Carlson. “To me, ‘Famously Alive’ means flipping the notion of dying famously to living famously,” Negroponte adds. “I also like to think of it as a way to describe living through something traumatic and coming out of it a stronger, wiser person.”Songs like the expansive, gleaming “Live Exponential” similarly invite the listener to lean into the light. “It’s about loving yourself and finding a way to be comfortable in your own body — to live life to the fullest and beyond,” says Carlson. Throughout the record, Guerilla Toss meet themselves with curiosity, generosity, and acceptance even for the harder parts of being alive. Opener “Cannibal Capital,” a song about the exhaustion and dread of social anxiety, came together in a flurry toward the end of the album’s sessions. A taut bass groove erupts into competing squalls of guitar and synth that support one of the most immediate and arresting vocal hooks of Guerilla Toss’s catalog to date.Together with guitarist Arian Shafiee, Carlson and Negroponte cultivated a sound that spliced together psychedelic texturing and Krautrock syncopation with the gloss and glow of contemporary pop music. “I like to combine as many musical influences as possible,” says Negroponte. “We thought the sleekness of current radio pop would make our dense wall-of-sound aesthetic both more bizarre and more accessible and fun at the same time.” Carlson was similarly inspired by a wide range of artists from around the world after diving deep into obscure 7-inches for her weekly show on Radio Catskill, Rare Pear Radio.Links: Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Emily Wells

Emily Wells is sharing “Love Saves the Day” from her upcoming album Regards to the End, out February 25, 2022 (Thesis & Instinct via Secretly Distribution). Wells, who recently toured as a violinist and vocalist with Japanese Breakfast, will be leading her own band across the US this spring and summer. Full dates are below and tickets go on sale this Friday at 12pm ET.A classically-trained violinist, singer, composer, producer, and video artist, Wells’s music has been described as “visionary” (NPR) and “quietly transfixing” (The New York Times). Recorded in 2020-21, Regards to the End is inspired by artists with early ties to the AIDS crisis, LGBT activists, and Wells’ own experience as a queer musician born from a long line of preachers. “Love Saves the Day” was written for David Bucknel, a prominent civil rights lawyer turned environmental advocate who committed suicide in 2018 by setting himself on fire in Prospect Park to call attention to environmental injustice. “Songs can move through the stories of other people as a means to finding our own,” says Emily. “I was beset with grief upon David’s death, not because I knew him personally or because I have any claim to his life or story, but rather through a quiet empathy that is, simply, human. In researching David I became interested in the stories of other people who’d chosen politically motivated self-immolation and each kept me following this knotty thread of humanism. Humanism and desperation, and a belief that this act of self-sacrifice was itself their only hope of getting our attention and more urgently, our action.” The Michael Stamm painting April 14, 2018 (RIP David Buckel) serves as the single cover.In his final email, Bucknel wrote, “My early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves…Here is a hope that giving a life might bring some attention to the need for expanded action.”Regards to the End finds connection with the lives and work of choreographers and visual artists, particularly those with ties to the AIDS crisis. This constellation of reference points includes Félix González-Torres (1957-1996), who made tender installations devoted to his lover, who died from AIDS-related complications; Jenny Holzer (b. 1950), a conceptual and frequently text-based artist who contributed to the New York City AIDS Memorial; and Kiki Smith (b. 1954), who has centered the human body and its fluids in her sculptures and lost a sister to AIDS. The album cover is the photo “The Piers (exterior with person sunbathing)” by Bronx-born photographer Alvin Baltrop (1948-2004), who documented Manhattan’s decrepit West Side piers that another lodestar, David Wojnarowicz, frequented. A work of radical empathy, Regards to the End foregrounds the power of art, critique, and care to connect and perhaps redeem us. The album releases digitally February 25, 2022 and the vinyl and CD release March 11, 2022 and are available for preorder.“Love Saves the Day” follows “David’s Got a Problem,” “Two Dogs Tethered Inside” and “I’m Numbers”, out now on all streaming platforms. Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube

Nellie McKay

This is a seated show.Nellie McKay has released seven acclaimed albums, won a Theatre World Award for her Broadway portrayal of Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, co-created and starred in the award winning off-Broadway hit Old Hats, and has conceived and performed musical biographies of Barbara Graham, Rachel Carson, Joan Rivers, & Billy Tipton (named one of the Best Concerts of the Year by the The New York Times).A recipient of PETA’s Humanitarian Award in recognition of her dedication to animal rights, Nellie is an annoyingly vocal critic of endless war, capitalism, and the two-party system that sustains it.” A renegade songwriter with an ultraflexible Great American Songbook sensibility …”–Rolling Stone”Couching her stiletto wit behind a honeyed smile and beguiling melodic charm, the singer and composer Nellie McKay has been disarming listeners since the release of her wryly titled album “Get Away from Me,” in 2004. Artful subterfuge is still the name of her game: McKay’s skillful tunes and vocal delivery enchant while her lyrics slyly disembowel.” — New YorkerLinks: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify