Tag: peak

  • Brooklyn Bowls a Turkey with Three band line up of Peak, Jam the Radar and Zestrove


    The smell of fried chicken in the air and the sounds of clanking bowling pins has been the setting for some of the finest musicians the world has to offer; a night at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg is always one full of joy and a lot of dancing, especially on November 30 with a three band bill of Peak, Jam the Radar and Zestrove.

    brooklyn bowl peak

    The night started off with Zestrove and their Americana funk styled jams. Zestrove is a 5 piece band driven by heavy guitar riffs and funky breakdowns. A smile was brought to my face as the chords from the Doug theme song flowed seamlessly into their song, “Shuck and slide.”

    Following Zestrove was Brooklyn’s Jam the Radar, offering a heavy improvisational segue from Zestrove. The name Jam thee Radar is very fitting for this band, because everywhere the radar searched, jams were found. They busted out “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” by the Beatles, and closed the set out with their original tune “Cabin Fever.”

    brooklyn bowl peak

    Peak closed the night out at Brooklyn Bowl with a pedal to the metal set full of jamtronica, funk and rock n roll. The backbone of this band is drummer Kito Bovenschlute, an absolute octopus on the drums with heavy Allen Aucion influence echoing with each drum pad strike. On bass is Josh Carter, formerly of Haley Jane and the Primates, keys is Johnny Young, and last but definitely not least on guitar is Jeremy Hilliard. Each one of these musicians is extremely talented, so keep an eye out for the growth of this band because they have definitely not hit their peak yet.

    Setlists

    Zestrove: Keep it Recording, Shuck and Slide*, Poi, Ideal Circumstances, Nothing Left to Say, In the Backyard, Lemonade (*Doug theme song Tease)

    Jam Radar: Fragile Minds, Quicksand, Drop the Dice, Help is Not, She’s So Heavy, Cabin Fever

    Peak: Starlight Child, Vanishing, Easy, What It Is, Missionary, In My Mind, Run Me Down, Level, When Night Comes

  • Brooklyn’s PEAK Premieres “Starlight Child,” Second Single off upcoming Album “Choppy Water”

    PEAK, the Brooklyn-based quartet release their second single, “Starlight Child,” off their forthcoming full length album Choppy Water, due for release on October 14. Recorded throughout 2020 and 2021 at their studio, the material is culled from several years of songwriting and road-testing, with mixing and mastering by Jason “Jocko” Randall (Turkuaz/ Jimkata/ Dopapod) at Moresound Studios in Syracuse.

    peak starlight child

    PEAK consists of songwriter and guitarist Jeremy Hilliard of Turbine, Kito Bovenshulte (Particle) on drums, Josh T. Carter (Haley Jane and The Primates) on bass, and newcomer Johnny Young, a Brooklyn-based-keyboardist, blind since the age of 17.  In 2018 they released their debut album Electric Bouquet, produced by Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz, and the buzz is escalating.  Self-described as Psychedelic Indie Funk, the songs on the album are vibey and lyric-based, and the live show is groove-oriented and exploratory.

    Choppy Water is chock full of groove-based psychedelic rock, with plenty of funk, electro-pop, prog, and Americana.  The deep, polished grooves from the bass and drums complement guitar and keys solos that wail with searing intensity. Hilliard’s songwriting takes the stage with a unique voice that captures a bizarre chapter in the world with a fresh distinct PEAK voice and defined sound.

    ‘”Starlight Child” kicks off side 2 on the vinyl, and we picked it as the second single because it really captures the vibe and mood of the whole album as well as any song on it. I particularly like the way there are a lot of instruments on the track that all have their place in the mix. Even though there’s a lot going on, you can hear the subtleties of the piano, the percussion, and the acoustic guitar. Also, this was the very first guitar solo I tracked in our new studio, so I was pretty amped.”

    Jeremy Hilliard

    “Starlight Child” stands out as one of the catchiest PEAK tracks on Choppy Water. Out of the gate, Young’s keys set the tone, jumping out with a catchy riff that graduates to the organ heading into first stanza. A hint of Crosby, Stills & Nash can be heard in the lyrics “Starlight Child, you were born in summer, you’re the same as I am, we were made to wander, we can stay and dance a while, the night will soon be over,” followed by a blistering guitar solo from Hilliard. The pace from Bovenshulte on the drums gives the track full-bodied character, not a second wasted on the 5:11 track.

    PEAK will hold an album release show on October 22 at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, and currently have a Kickstarter Presale for Choppy Water that ends on Sept 23.

  • Yasgur’s May Meltdown Music Festival Features PEAK, The New Motif

    Yasgur Road in Bethel will open its first festival of the 2021 season with Yasgur’s May Meltdown over Memorial Day Weekend. With more than 30 bands on the lineup, including headliners The New Motif and PEAK, the festival takes place at Max Yasgur’s former 103-acre homestead in Bethel, NY.

    Yasgur's May Meltdown

    Yasgur Road hosts multiple shows each year, including their annual Woodstock Reunion. The venue keeps vending affordable but encourages bringing your own supplies for the weekend (no glass, please). Bathrooms, showers, campfires, and camping near the stage are just some of the amenities of the festival grounds, as well as onsite parking close by.  Free craft vending is allowed with purchase of a weekend pass. Dog passes are also available.

    Truly the home of the spirit of Woodstock, the most famous music festival in history, Yasgur Road is less than 3 miles from Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Max Yasgur’s former homestead is now dedicated to the music festival industry, offering quality entertainment and camping in a natural wooded setting.  

    yasgur's may meltdown

    The New Motif, an ever-evolving eclectic jam funk band originally formed on Cape Cod, MA perform music infused with deep psychedelic grooves and dynamic improvisation. Joining them as headliners are PEAK, a Brooklyn-based group full of psychedelic Indie fun with a mix of poetic, melodic songwriting, moody electrofunk, riffed-out blues-rock, and exploratory danceable improvisations.

    For more information regarding May Meltdown, or any of Yasgur Road’s festivals and events, visit Yasgurroadreunion.com or their Facebook page. Order tickets here and stay up to date with the Facebook event.

    Yasgur’s May Meltdown 2021 Lineup

    The New Motif, Peak, Spunday Mourning, Dee Maple Band, Mysterytrain, Hanna’s Field, Lunch Trucks, Gypsy Funk Squad, Moon Matrix of the Lizard People, Jerry Duty, Mutt Farm, The Hobo Style, Jason Gisser Band, PoW WoW, Robert Tellefsen, Alec Philips, Crispy Crunch, Buffy & the Boys, and many more!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yz_0UN4ACU
  • Jeremy Hilliard releases “Long Lives: A Collection of Home Demos”

    Jeremy Hilliard has released Long Lives: A Collection of Home Demos that represent the first incarnation of songs that are later worked out and performed by his band PEAK.

    jeremy hilliard

    Hilliard stresses these are home demos and are very rough around the edges, originally not intended for release. Hilliard recorded them using only an outdated version of Logic Pro X, one 58 mic, one electric and one acoustic guitar, and a little 1.5 octave keyboard. A testament to the raw tracks, he spent no more than a session recording each one.  These demos are released ahead of the new PEAK album, due out this September.

    About half of the songs on here I’ve been carrying with me for ten years or more, and the other half is from recent writing. These are songs that are super chill and Americana in style, falling outside the usual material I end up presenting to the band.  They also seem to be a bit more personal in nature. In fact, I realized recently there’s a full song cycle here, and I engaged Beth to sing the harmony vocals on a lot of these to help finish them, especially as we have lived them all together.

    Jeremy Hilliard, PEAK

    Enjoy this 35 minute collection of demos from Hilliard, with “extremely homemade” video slideshows. Follow Jeremy Hilliard on Facebook.

    Tracklist: Shot In The Dark, Long Lives, While The Days Go On Back Home, Pahrumpadise, Low-Down Fahrenheit Frostburg Blues, The Wind and the Rain, Soulard Wedding, Four Forces, Morning In Brooklyn, Blue Parkway

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVUmq-B0ePs&list=PLD2TExZyuvccpOAI7k5vFjC2ggkVtMZqM
  • PEAK Announce Summer 2021 Dates, Album Release Show

    Spring has arrived, and Brooklyn’s PEAK bring with them fresh dates and the world looking ahead to Summer 2021.

    For the first announcement in what will be a big year for the band, they’ll release their forthcoming full-length sophomore album, Choppy Water, in September, with a the Brooklyn, NY-based quartet will be hosting an album release show at the Knitting Factory on September 10 (at full capacity), with a support acts to be named very soon.

    peak summer 2021

    PEAK Summer 2021 TOUR DATES:

    May 30 Yasgur’s May Meltdown, Bethel, NY (PEAK headline Friday)
    June 17
     Stella Blues, New Haven, CT
    July 10 Electric Haze, Worcester, MA
    July 17 Snug’s Bar, New Paltz, NY
    July 23
     B.R.Y.A.C. Bridgeport, CT
    August 26 Tellus 360, Lancaster, PA
    August 27 Altered State Distellery Erie, PA
    September 10 ALBUM RELEASE SHOW Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY

    Watch PEAK perform “Vanishing Skies,” live from the Studio.

  • PEAK Announces Parts 3 and 4 of their ‘Live From The Studio’ Series

    PEAK announces parts 3 and 4 of their ‘Live From The Studio’ series. The series features full sets from the band and will be free and open to the public. 

    PEAK part 3 and 4

    PEAK is a Brooklyn based band that formed in 2016 with frontman and guitarist, Jeremy Hilliard, who originally went under the name before members Kito Bovenschulte (Particle) on drums, Josh T. Carter (Hayley Jane and The Primates) on bass, and newcomer-extraordinaire Johnny Young on keys joined in 2019. PEAK released their critically acclaimed debut album Electric Bouquet, produced by Dave Brandwein (Turkuaz) in 2018. The band has spent a decent amount of 2020  writing, rehearsing and recording an album in their Brooklyn studio, with hints of their sophomore album being in the works. 

    The first of PEAK’s ‘Live From The Studio Series’ started back on November 14, 2020. The second session took place on December 5, 2020. Both sessions were available on their YouTube Channel and on Jamcast. Each of the performances was a little over an hour in length and featured lots of original music from fan favorites to some straight jams. 

    The third session will take place on February 27, at 8 pm. The fourth session will take place on March 20, at 8 pm. The sets will be streamed live and for free on PEAK’s YouTube Channel and their Facebook.

    They will be accepting donations though to their virtual tip jar through Venmo @jeremy-hilliard1. People can also support the band and their efforts by visiting their Bandcamp page and checking out their audio releases. Head to their online store and pick out some PEAK merch, including new pins and T-shirts designed by the formidable Dave Vertino. 

    The shows are being supported by MKDevo, Michelle Young, and Matt Calabrese who are going to be bringing the audience a pro-shot video, multitrack audio, and light shows. 

    For more information on PEAK and their upcoming parts 3 and 4 of their ‘Live From The Studio’ series visit their website.

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