Broccoli Samurai Delivers Jamtronic Goodness with a Side of Funk
We had travelled to North Carolina to cover The BIG What? for MusicFestNews. It poured and poured the first night, and then the power was knocked out by lightning. I was disappointed that I was going to miss a number of bands scheduled for that night, but miraculously the crew was able to restore the power, and much of the program went on as scheduled, including Broccoli Samurai. At the time, I wrote:
And we STILL weren’t done! Broccoli Samurai, the band slated to close Thursday night, was getting that opportunity. AND. THEY. DESTROYED. IT. Blew it up. I knew when I wrote the festival preview that this band was at the top of my list to check out. And that turned out to be an understatement. I heard elements of the New Deal, Dopapod, the Disco Biscuits and Particle, but this set was all their own. It was a team effort the start of “Spyro” to the end of “Yuna,” and already I cannot wait to hear them again.
My opportunity is coming up during Broccoli Samurai’s Spring Tour (which starts a wee bit before spring!). Your opportunity is coming up as well for those in the Midwest and up and down the East coast.
This superb Cleveland quartet has played at more than a dozen festivals and appeared with many of the most prominent groups on our scene. They describe themselves as “synth-laden, drum-and-bass influenced, progressive electronica.” That’s nearly perfect. Ryan Hodson is the man at the keyboards and synthesizers helping to give Broccoli Samurai its distinctive sound. The aforementioned drums and bass are courtesy of Chris Walker and Zachary Wolfe Nagi-Schehl, respectively, with Michael Vincent’s psychedelic guitar tightly wrapped around the beat-driven sounds.
Their “Spring” Tour begins Thursday, February 4th, at The Bluebird in Bloomington IN. Dates in the Midwest lead east to Pittsburgh, then south into North Carolina and Georgia with a March 5th date at the amazing AURA Music and Arts Festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak FL. More dates will be announced, but they are slated to play the Alchemy Rising Festival (Frontier Ranch) in Pataskala OH in the middle of May.
And watch for announcements about the release of their upcoming new album (complete with 10 different incredible guests!).
BROCCOLI SAMURAI SPRING TOUR
Feb 04 The Bluebird Bloomington, IN
Feb 05 Woodlands Tavern Columbus, OH
Feb 06 One Eyed Jack’s Fairborn, OH
Feb 11 Blind Pig Ann Arbor, MI
Feb 12 Shakespeare’s Kalamazoo, MI
Feb 13 Avenue Cafe Lansing, MI
Feb 14 Founders Brewing Co. w/ Everyday Junior Grand Rapids, MI
Feb 23 Cosmic Charlie’s w/ Aqueous & Mister F Lexington, KY
Feb 24 The Rex w/ Aqueous Pittsburgh, PA
Feb 25 Bright Box w/ Aqueous Winchester, VA
Feb 27 Rabbit Hole w/ Aqueous Charlotte, NC
Feb 28 Asheville Music Hall w/ Aqueous Asheville, NC
Mar 02 Nowhere Bar w/ Aqueous Athens, GA
Mar 03 Smith’s Olde Bar w/ Aqueous Atlanta, GA
Mar 05 Aura Music & Arts Festival (March 3-5) Live Oak, FL Mar 24 Funk n Waffles Downtown Syracuse, NY
Mar 25 Buffalo Iron Works Buffalo, NY
Mar 30 8X10 Club w/ Second Self & People’s Blues of Richmond Baltimore, MD
Apr 09 Exit/In Nashville, TN
May 13 Alchemy Rising Festival (Frontier Ranch) Pataskala, OH
May 14 Alchemy Rising Festival (Frontier Ranch) Pataskala, OH
May 19-21 Domefest Fort Royale Farm Bedford, PA
Learn much more on the band’s official website!