Category: Syracuse

In Focus: Trey and Goose let Loose in Syracuse

For the penultimate stop on Trey Anastasio Band and Goose’s fall tour, the two bands took over War Memorial Arena in Syracuse. Over two sets, both groups showed their comfort level in the arena setting and playing with each other that they have gained over the tour so far.

Goose began their set with “Slow Ready”, easing in with the sultry synth-drenched songs. Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed a change in guitarist Rick Mitarotonda’s amp setup – instead of the Mesa Boogie Express 5:50 we are used to seeing behind him, last night in Syracuse he used a setup not unlike Trey’s classic Mesa Boogie III and a 2×12 wooden cabinet.

Ripping into “Jive I” next, the first of the Jive triptych to make an appearance this tour saw Mitarotonda and multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach trading licks over a hot intro jam ahead of a strong take on the song. “Jive Lee” offered just under ten minutes of solid improv, bassist Trevor Weekz laying down a foundation for Anspach and Mitarotonda to work over.

“Bob Don” came next – an apt performance possibly in honour of the release of EP Undecided yesterday, a surprise drop of four songs recorded during the Dripfield sessions in 2021. “Bob Don” is included on this release, though under the song’s original name “Undecided”. Last night’s version featured the extended outro jam beloved by fans – Anspach’s gentle piano and percussionist Jeff Arevalo’s contributions accentuate the laid-back groove.

A surprise performance of fan-favourite “Factory Fiction” continued the set – the song’s shortest gap ever at just three shows. After a dissonant jam that led to a blazing peak, Goose invited Trey on stage to help close out the set. Starting the sit-in with the highly anticipated “Madhuvan” (or Madhuvanastasio, as it has been called), Anastasio added perfectly to the song, throwing in little riffs and accents as Mitarotonda sang his way through.

Beginning the jam in a spacey motif, Anspach laid some vibraphone-infused piano down as the two guitarists explored the terrain. Starting up a descending progression on piano that the rest of the band quickly locked in to, Anastasio led the way through a major-key section as Mitarotonda joined in for some spot-on harmonization work. Insistent playing from drummer Ben Atkind gradually increased the pace and intensity as the peak drew closer. Locking in on some twin sustain action, the dual-guitar attack shredded the classic Goose jam vehicle to pieces before quieting down into some tension/release runs. Undeniably the improvisational highlight of the night

Bringing out TAB drummer Russ Lawton to help close the set, Goose brought out the catchy “Animal”. With one show remaining, the quintet has proved beyond a doubt that they are up to the arena-size sound.

Goose Setlist: Push On ‘Til the Day, Love Is What We Are, Mozambique, Cayman Review, Camel Walk, Twist, No Men in No Man’s Land, A Life Beyond The Dream, …And Flew Away, Dark And Down, Ghost^[1], Hey Stranger^[1], Everything’s Right^[1], First Tube^[2]

Encore: Llama^[3], Show of Life^[4], Party Time^[4]

Coach’s Notes:
    [1] With Rick on guitar and Peter on keys.
    [2] With Rick on guitar, Peter on keys, Trevor on bass, and Spuds and Jeff on percussion.
    [3] Performed in a slow funk style. With Rick on guitar, Peter on keys, and Trevor, Spuds, and Jeff on percussion.
    [4] With Rick on guitar, Peter on keys, and Trevor, Spuds, and Jeff on percussion.

Before TAB began their set, Trey took a moment to note that percussionst Cyro Baptista would be absent from last night’s concert – an emergency health issue had popped up before showtime. Dedicating the opening “I Never Needed You Like This Before” to the absent percussionist, Trey immediately began stretching his legs improvisationally more than he has all tour with TAB.

The patience and more extended takes on songs continued through “Blaze On” and “Wolfman’s Brother”, seeing Trey leading jams yet also weaving melodies with keyboardist Ray Paczkowski.

“Blazing Down the Twisted Wire” from 2022’s Mercy offered an uptempo breather ahead of “Sand” – bassist Dezron Douglas digging into the song’s signature riff as Trey once again stretched the song slightly beyond its normal length. The peppy “Shine” came next before a deep and groovy “46 Days”. The Phish song saw the horn section departing the stage as Trey shredded over the moody groove. Paczkowski provided the perfect backdrop to the fretboard fireworks on organ and clav.

Numerous peaks later, Trey brought Mitarotonda and Anspach back on stage for an extended sit-in that began with the tour’s second “Mr. Completely”. Taking the first part of the jam to face off with Mitarotonda, Trey traded licks with the Goose guitarist before handing it off to Jen Hartswick on trumpet. Modulating into the typical solo section, trombonist Natalie “Chainsaw” Cressman stepped up next as we were treated to an extended solo where she and Trey faced off at centre stage. Anspach took a solo next, Paczkowski egging him on just like in Glens Falls earlier in the tour.

As the song drew to a close, Lawton and Douglas eased their way into the “Plasma” groove. Trey led the way on this jam, first on some eerie whammy pedal work and then switching on his various synth pedals for a more dissonant section. Paczkowski’s distorted organ perfectly suited the spacey and out-there jam, evolving in one of the most experimental TAB performances of the tour. The 10-piece band then delivered a hot “A Wave of Hope” to close the extended sit-in and set.

For the encore, Anspach and Mitarotonda returned to the stage for the tour’s first “Quantegy” and another blazing reading of “Money, Love and Change”, once more highlighting how locked in the two lead guitarists are to each other at this point in the tour.

With one more show left in TABoose tour, both bands are primed to deliver incredible performances in Reading, PA.

Set 1: I Never Needed You Like This Before, Blaze On, Wolfman’s Brother, Blazing Down the Twisted Wire, Sand, Shine, 46 Days, Mr. Completely [1] > Plasma[1] > A Wave of Hope[1]

Encore: Quantegy[1] > Money, Love and Change[1]

[1] Rick Mitarotonda on guitar and Peter Anspach on keys; setlist via Phish.net

photos by Brian Ferguson

November 20, 2022
Syracuse Jazz Festival Announces Fundraising Goals

The Syracuse Jazz Festival has announced they are currently searching for private and public sector funding to help fund the 2023 edition of the festival.

The Syracuse Jazz Festival is now in its 37 year and returned last year after a five-year-long hiatus due to financial issues. It is the nation’s 12 longest-running festival and the world’s 12 longest-running jazz festival. It was previously named “The Largest Free Jazz Festival In The Northeast”, winning 30 International, national and regional awards as the Best Music Festival.

Many legendary artists have performed at the festival, including Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Sonny Rollins. These performances gave the festival international acclaim.

The festival organizers are currently pursuing private and public sector funding to mount a 2023 edition of the festival in the amount of $650,000. According to festival founder and executive producer Frank Malfitano, “The cost of mounting a world class, non ticketed festival – one that remains free of charge
for area residents and visitors – has risen dramatically.” He also went on to say that artists’ fees have doubled and even tripled since the pandemic. In 2022, the festival got $400,000 in funding to bring it back.

This past year, with the help of Amazon, Onondaga County and the City, we achieved our primary goal of bringing the festival back, and we’re extremely proud of that collective accomplishment. We’re also proud of the fact that we were able to showcase many of our region’s finest jazz artists in 2022 at 20 different venues over 3 evenings, providing needed work opportunities for more than 100 Syracuse-based artists who had been negatively impacted by the pandemic. While we were successful in helping revitalize the region’s cultural and music scene by achieving those goals, we simultaneously fell a little short of securing needed and hoped for multi-year funding commitments for Jazz Fest. But, we’re hoping our success in 2022 will lead to even greater success in 2023.
Frank Malfitano

Malfitano concluded by saying that anyone interested in learning more about the 2023 Syracuse Jazz Fest Sponsorship can contact him here.

November 18, 2022
Listen to Syracuse Singer-Songwriter Stephen Mullane’s Folksy Single ‘Without A Me”

When you listen to “Without A Me,” you are brought into an intimate space: a belfry filled with fluttering bats, a cluttered room, the side of a highway where people hold signs and implore honks and kool-aid condenses in its paper cup, an attic — evoking those bats again — all imaginary, all in the mind of Syracuse singer-songwriter Stephen Mullane. Except of course, that the song was recorded in Mullane’s own self-contained world as well: the song is his first to be written, performed, recorded and produced entirely in Mullane’s home studio, a space he fashioned by himself for himself.

“Without A Me” is Stephen Mullane’s newest single; it follows two albums he released in 2021, recorded at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse. Mullane is an independent — it’s just him, his voice, his guitar. His lyrics are the highlight, they’re ripe with imagery, wit, ad-libs and inconsistent rhyme schemes that all seem to work out in the end. Called to mind are Elliot Smith’s slowly unfolding “King’s Crossing,” Pavement trading incomprehensible verse in “… And Carrot Rope,” or Bob Dylan’s self-critical look at current affairs in “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”.

Mullane thrives in this folksy, rambling space of sound because his lyrics hold enough interest and nuance to be stark against the minimal acoustic background. The stream of consciousness is overwhelming, but the consistent rhythm and vocals hold strong against the current.

The song is out now, listen below. To see Stephen Mullane live in Syracuse, his next gig is at Skaneateles Brewery on Sunday, November 27, his third show at the brewery.

November 15, 2022
Foreigner Announce Historic Farewell Tour, Four NY Stops

Foreigner has announced its Historic Farewell Tour, with stops at Darien Center, Saratoga Springs, Wantagh, and Syracuse.

Foreigner is hailed as one of the most famous rock acts in the world, with sold-out tours and album sales now exceeding 80 million. They are responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Feels Like The First Time,” and worldwide #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is.”

The time has come. We have more or less lived our lives on the road for almost eighteen years.  We have always strived to give you our best and we intend to finish this the same way. Foreigner has a brilliant and increasingly demanding catalogue of songs to sing and I refuse to give them less than they deserve. So, we’re going to finish strong. I want to make it very clear how grateful and appreciative we are to our audiences all over the world who have supported this band.  I’m sure there may be occasions when we’ll do some special appearances, but I think the time is coming for us to live off the road. Thank you all so much!
Lead singer, Kelly Hansen

Leader and founder Mick Jones also wrote in a statement “We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances.  The tour will start this summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years.”

Foreigner will continue its long-term initiative with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation to invite choirs to open the show with a live a cappella “Pitch Perfect” performance of Classic Rock songs. For more information about how to enter, go here.

Loverboy will be opening for the band. The group has sold more than ten million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling “Get Lucky,” and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983’s Keep It Up and 1985’s Lovin’ Every Minute of It.

The group still features the original line-up of vocalist Mike Reno, guitarist Paul Dean, drummer Matt Frenette and keyboardist Doug Johnson with bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve replacing the late Scott Smith.

Tickets to Foreigner’s Historic Farewell Tour are on sale Nov. 18 here.

Foreigner Tour Dates

Thu July 6               Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

Sat July 8                West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Sun July 9               Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

Tue July 11            Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheatre

Fri July 14              Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP

Tue July 18            Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre

Wed July 19           St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Fri July 21              Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center

Sat July 22             Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Mon July 24            Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center

Tue July 25             Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

Fri July 28               Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

Sat July 29              Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake

Tue August 1          Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Wed August 2       Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach

Fri August 4           Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

Sat August 5           Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

Tue August 8         Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

Wed August 9        Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

Fri August 11          Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

Sat August 12         Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Mon August 14       Austin, TX – Moody Center

Wed August 16      Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Fri August 18         Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater

Sun August 20       Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion

Mon August 21       Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater

Wed August 23     Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheater

Thu August 24        Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

Weds August 30   Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater

Fri September 1     Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

Sat September 2 Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

Sun September 3   Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

November 15, 2022
Great Salt City Blues Concert 6 Set for December

The Great Salt City Blues Concert, an annual Syracuse event, will return to the Palace Theatre for its sixth rendition on the day after Christmas at 7:30 p.m.

Held following the holiday every year, the concert series intends to feature ten shows by the end of its run.

The show will be held in honor of several renowned blues artists: singer Etta James, who the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has called “the matriarch of blues,” blues guitarist Elmore James, who has been named “The King Of The Slide Guitar,” guitarist and Blues Hall of Fame member Sleepy John Estes, and singer Junior Parker, another Blues Hall of Fame member.

With the night featuring cover performances of their music, participating musicians include the following: Tas Cru, Morris Tarbell, Colin Aberdeen, Ava Andrews, Dave Liddy, Jes Sheldon, Jeff Stockham, Rod Zajak, Ronnie Leigh, Rob Spagnoletti, Jake Capozzolo, Garnett Grimm, Steven T. Wilson, Raedwald Howland-Bolton, Don Williams, Larry Kyle, Lee Tiffault, Mike Davis, and Matt Lomeo.

The doors for the Great Salt City Blues Concert #6 at The Palace Theater, located at 2384 James Street, will open at 6 p.m. and information regarding tickets and more can be found here.

November 10, 2022
CNY Jazz Orchestra To Link Up With David Liebman

The Central New York Jazz Orchestra, a Syracuse area non-profit big band, will join up with NEA Jazzmaster David Liebman later this month to perform and record together.

This comes 11 years after the orchestra accompanied the saxophonist/flautist’s world premiere solo performance of “If a White Horse from Jerusalem,” a four-movement work for soprano saxophone, wooden flute, and jazz orchestra. After the concert, Liebman had offered to record an album with the orchestra, and is soon coming through with this offer.

David Liebman.

On the 20th, he’ll again perform the composition at Syracuse’s Temple Adath Yesurun, before recording with the orchestra the following day. The CNYJO who will be conducted by Music Director Bret Zvacek, is also debuting its 27th season. Additional numbers of the concert include Quincy Jones’ arrangement of the theme from Exodus, as well as orchestra originals to be found on their 2023 album with David Liebman. The doors open at 4 p.m. while music begins at 5.

“If a White Horse from Jerusalem” was originally commissioned by the S.U. Humanities Center on their 2011 theme of “Conflict: Peace and War” and performed that year in the Carrier Theater, with additional support by the Jewish Federation of Central New York and Hillel. Both the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York will lend their support for the reprise production in November.

Information regarding tickets and more can be found here.

November 3, 2022
Shania Twain Announces Global Tour, July Dates at Lakeview and MSG, and Second Leg in Buffalo

Country music fixture Shania Twain has released dates for her 2023 Queen of Me Tour, a five month, 49-date run stretching across Canada, the US, and the UK.

Starting April 28 in Spokane, WA and wrapping up September 26 in Birmingham, England, the tour includes stops in NY on July 8 at St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse and on the 11th at Madison Square Garden. New Jersey singer-songwriter Breland will feature as a guest performer.

Due to huge demand, she added a second leg of her tour, stopping in Buffalo on Oct. 20.

Poster for the ‘Queen of Me’ Tour.

Twain’s tour is in promotion of her upcoming album titled Queen of Me, slated for February 3 release. It’s the sixth studio record from the five-time Grammy Award winner, who owns the title of best-selling female country artist ever.

Ticket sales for the run begin this Friday, November 4 at 10 a.m.

SHANIA TWAIN ‘QUEEN OF ME’ 2023 TOUR DATES, LEG 1

4/28     Spokane, WA             Spokane Arena

4/29     Seattle, WA                Climate Pledge Arena

5/02     Vancouver, BC           Rogers Arena

5/03     Vancouver, BC           Rogers Arena

5/05     Edmonton, AB            Rogers Place

5/06     Edmonton, AB            Rogers Place

5/09     Calgary, AB                Scotiabank Saddledome

5/10     Calgary, AB                Scotiabank Saddledome

5/12     Saskatoon, SK            SaskTel Centre

5/14     Winnipeg, MB             Canada Life Centre

5/16     Madison, WI               Kohl Center

5/17     St Paul, MN                Xcel Energy Center

5/19     Lincoln, NE                 Pinnacle Bank Arena

5/21     Denver, CO                Ball Arena

5/24     Salt Lake City, UT     USANA Amphitheatre

5/26     Mountain View, CA     Shoreline Amphitheatre

5/28     Los Angeles, CA         Hollywood Bowl

5/30     Phoenix, AZ                Ak-Chin Pavilion

5/31     Thousand Palms, CA Acrisure Arena

6/03     Tulsa, OK                   BOK Center

6/04     St. Louis, MO              Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL

6/07     Nashville, TN              GEODIS Park

6/09     Camden, NJ               Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

6/12     Halifax, NS                 Scotiabank Centre

6/14     Moncton, NB               Avenir Centre

6/17     Quebec City, QC        Videotron Centre

6/18     Montreal, QC              Bell Centre

6/20     Hamilton, ON              FirstOntario Centre

6/21     London, ON                Budweiser Gardens

6/23     Toronto, ON                Budweiser Stage

6/24     Toronto, ON                Budweiser Stage

6/27     Columbia, MD             Merriweather Post Pavilion

6/28     Charlotte, NC              PNC Music Pavilion

6/30     Cuyahoga Falls, OH   Blossom Music Center

7/01     Tinley Park, IL            Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

7/06     Ottawa, ON                 Ottawa Bluesfest

7/08     Syracuse, NY             St Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

7/09     Mansfield, MA             Xfinity Center

7/11     New York, NY             Madison Square Garden

7/13     Burgettstown, PA        The Pavilion at Star Lake

7/15     Noblesville, IN            Ruoff Music Center

7/19     Kansas City, MO        T-Mobile Center

7/21     Dallas, TX                   Dos Equis Pavilion

7/22     Houston, TX               Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

9/16     London, UK                 The O2

9/19     Dublin, IRE                 3Arena

9/22     Glasgow, UK               OVO Hydro

9/25     Manchester, UK          AO Arena

9/26     Birmingham, UK         Utilita Arena Birmingham

SHANIA TWAIN ‘QUEEN OF ME’ 2023 TOUR DATES, LEG 2

10/12   San Antonio, TX         AT&T Center

10/13   Fort Worth, TX            Dickies Arena

10/16   Knoxville, TN              Thompson Boling Arena

10/18   Raleigh, NC                PNC Arena

10/20   Buffalo, NY                  KeyBank Center

10/22   Toronto, ON                Scotiabank Arena

10/24   Quebec City, QC        Videotron Centre

10/25   Montreal, QC              Bell Centre

10/27   Columbus, OH            Schottenstein Center

10/28   Louisville, KY              KFC Yum! Center

10/31   Milwaukee, WI            Fiserv Forum

11/02   Omaha, NE                 CHI Health Center

11/03   Des Moines, IA           Wells Fargo Arena

11/05   Fargo, ND                   FARGODOME

11/07   Winnipeg, MB             Canada Life Centre

11/09   Saskatoon, SK            Sasktel Centre

11/11   Calgary, AB                 Scotiabank Saddledome

11/12   Edmonton, AB             Rogers Place

11/14   Vancouver, BC           Rogers Arena

October 30, 2022
The Avett Brothers Plan Pair of May shows at Beak & Skiff and Artpark

The Avett Brothers have announced shows in 2023, with a lone pair of shows in May taking them to Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in Lafayette on May 20 and at Artpark in Lewiston on May 21. They’ll be closing out 2022 with a three-night run in Brooklyn and ring in the year at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Avett Brothers, featuring siblings Scott and Seth, is a Grammy-nominated folk-rock band from North Carolina known for songs like “Kick Drum Heart,” “I and Love and You,” and “Ain’t No Man.”

The three-time GRAMMY Award nominees made mainstream waves with their 2009 major label debut, I And Love And You, which landed at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 & garnered critical acclaim. In 2012, The Carpenter hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200, followed by Magpie And The Dandelion in 2013, which debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top 200. In 2016, the band was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. The group most recently released the 2020 EP The Third Gleam.

Tickets for The Avett Brothers at Beak and Skiff and Artpark go on sale Friday, October 28, at 10AM on ticketmaster.com and at venue box offices.

Avett Brothers Tour Dates

Saturday, May 20 – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Lafayette, NY

Sunday, May 21 – Artpark, Lewiston, NY

October 28, 2022
In Focus: SG Lewis at The Westcott Theater

SG Lewis performed at The Westcott Theater on October 11 as their official fifth stop during their 2022 Tour. SG Lewis is a London-based singer and song writer; his music produces an electronic, dance-oriented groove and dedicates his music to club culture.

Perri Sage Photography

Lewis is originally from Reading, England and began his music career after many years experimenting as a teenager. It only began in 2014 for SG hopping from various bands as he moved in his own direction, Lewis’s first EP Shivers was released in 2015.

Perri Sage Photography

Mindchatter opened, with a similar electronic pop groove. Bryce opened with some of his top hits “I can change” and DJ mix “It’s been you”. It was the perfect way to rise the vibe before the crowd broke loose for well known SG Lewis. The Westcott Theater provided the perfect dance floor for the show last Tuesday evening. With a youthful crowd, fans were excited that SG was visiting Syracuse as one of his many stops.

Perri Sage Photography

The London performer sung top releases and collaborative songs featuring artists JP Cooper, Bruno Major, Frances, Clairo, LANY among others. Leaning over the barricade was a screaming SG, and the crowd blew up for the band. The set also featured songs “More Than A Woman” (Paradise edit featuring Bees Gees), hit release “One More” (feat. Nile Rodgers) and one more of many “Heartbreak on The Dance floor” (feat. Frances).

Perri Sage Photography

The day before SG’s show at The Westcott Theater, he released his latest single “Call On Me” (feat. Tove Lo) on October 10th.

Perri Sage Photography

Overall, SG Lewis and the band seemed to have kicked off a good start to their tour. Lewis continues to inspire the music industry and welcome the crowd and thank his fans for support. SG Lewis has a great way of captivating his audience and giving the fans a good time and a memorable show.

Perri Sage Photography

October 19, 2022
Trauma Cat’s “The Truth Doesn’t Live Here” Album Release

Local to Syracuse, the band Trauma Cat has recently just dropped their newest album The Truth Doesn’t Live Here, which we released on Friday, October 7^th. Award-winning indie alternative band making a name for themselves by stating that they are “America’s sorriest power trio.” Along with this, they will be playing at The Range in Ithaca on October 22^nd.

This LP marks the Syracuse-based band’s second full-length collaboration weighing in at a whopping 19 tracks. The unauthorized double album features six singles previously released in 2022: “Better Questions,” “Tsai Shen,” “Bunnyhole,” “Popcorn Machine,” “Get It All Out (Online),” and “The Reporter.”

Songs like “The Truth Doesn’t Live Here” arrive also on the heels of a five-part online “dox-u-series” called “The Truth About Trauma Cat,” a cheeky satire of internet culture, deepfake technology, and simulation theory that teases a definitive identity reveal of the band’s members (known as Ralph Kojig, Roman Pando, and Rutger DiBoyere).

“When we say ‘the truth doesn’t live here,’ we mean that we are all inhabiting a post-truth world,” says guitarist Kojig, who shares primary songwriting and frontman duties with bassist Pando. “While it’s possible that the majority of our society once recognized an objective truth, it’s pretty clear now — in the face of so many false or dubious claims — that we never had a monopoly on reality anyway, I’m sorry to say.”

“And there’s something hilarious and freeing about that,” adds Pando. “That strange liberation is what provoked Ralph and I to write the songs that would end up on this record. The result is something deeply inquisitive, and yet, with apologies to our audience, we still have no answers — except, obnoxiously, that there are no answers. Sorry!”

The songs on the album that I recommend are “The Truth Doesn’t Live Here,” which doubles down on Trauma Cat’s signature blend of music taste. The song combines a progressive rock with shades of post-punk, shoegaze, and power-pop. Similarly, “Better Questions” and “Pray the Gay Away” are another two amazing blend of alternative genres that speak to the chaos of the record’s core theme.

“The Truth Doesn’t Live Here” is available now on all streaming platforms. To listen to their newest hits, click the link here.

October 18, 2022

Built in Breakdance