Khruangbin, Bleachers, and CAKE are slated to headline the second edition of The Capitol Groove, downtown Hartford’s premier festival, returning to Bushnell Park June 28-29.
Presented by GoodWorks Entertainment, the festival will feature 14 artists over two days with performances from Thundercat, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Thee Sacred Souls, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Fantastic Negrito, Steel Pulse, Ripe, Improvement Movement, Ghost Funk Orchestra, The Greeting Committee, and Spectre Jones. These titillating acts are ones you’ll certainly want to see live.
Beyond the music, The Capitol Groove will also boast a lineup of local craft vendors and food trucks to be announced closer to the festival. Situated in the heart of downtown Hartford, Bushnell Park’s ample green space and natural beauty provides festivalgoers the perfect backdrop for two days of live music, all within easy reach of Hartford’s rich history and vibrant arts scene.
This upcoming festival is the second ever in the fest’s history. The Capitol Groove saw much success last summer and hopes to reach new heights with an even more exciting lineup. Acts like Khruangbin, Thundercat, Bleachers, and CAKE are must sees. These artists are known to bring the absolute groove to new levels wherever they go.
For more information and to purchase tickets to The Capitol Groove festival, click here.
On Saturday, September 21, Khruangbin wrapped up the second of two nights at Forest Hills Stadium to a sold out crowd.
Well on their way through a lengthy global tour promoting their new album, A La Sala, Men I Trust warmed up the crowd as they hit the stage at 7pm sharp. With the bar set high and excitement at its peak, the lights went dark as the trio from Houston, Texas hit the stage at 8:15.
Khruangbin, which translates to airplane in thai, takes their audience on a journey playing consecutively through A La Sala. Exploring many themes and motifs with great style and ambiguity, the music, accompanied by choreography, stunning lighting, and set design created a touching spectacle. If it wasn’t already clear that the band is telling a story with A La Sala, the last song of set 1 exemplified this when Mark Steele, Guitar and Vocals, along with Laura Lee, Bass and Vocals, walked down and sat at the very edge of the stage.
With DJ Johnson on Drums and Keys not far behind them, they gently played through “Le Petit Gris”, a soft piano driven melody. Sounds and visuals of thunder and rain trickling down in the windows behind them, a soft breeze that reminded everyone summer is over and fall is here, the band and audience became one.
The second set featured classic material that could make anyone dance. Notable highlights included “The Number 3”, “August 10”, and “Evan Finds The Third Room”. With genre bending sounds of global influence that all seamlessly weave together, their minimalist approach creates soundscapes of deep grooves, catchy hooks, and mesmerizing rhythms. The trios meteoric rise to the top is no coincidence. Playing iconic festivals and venues like Coachella and Bonnaroo, Radio City Music Hall and Red Rocks, they have solidified their position in the music industry.
With Emmanuelle Proulx of Men I Trust joining them for “Dearest Alfred”, they closed out the evening with the funky renditions of “Maria tambien” and “People Everywhere, (Still Alive)”. After the finale, Leezy reemerged from the back, throwing her extra head bands into the crowd, dancing along with the audience to “September” by Earth, Wind, & Fire. Their tour continues for a few select dates in the United States before departing again to resume tour around the world.
Khruangbin – Forest Hills Stadium – September 21st, 2024
Set 1: Fifteen Fifty-Three, May Ninth, Ada Jean, Farolim de Felguerias, Pon Pon, Todavia Viva, Juegos y Nubes, Hold Me Up (Thank You), Caja de la Sala, Three from Two, A Love International, Les Petits Gris Set 2: The Number 3, August 10, Lady and Man, The Infamous Bill, Pelota, Evan Finds the Third Room, Time (You and I) Encore: Dearest Alfred*, Maria tambien, People Everywhere (Still Alive) *with Emma from Men I Trust
Khruangbin came to Buffalo to play outside the AKG Art Museum on May 25. Rain was in the forecast and it started to drizzle as fantastic opener John Carroll Kirby took the stage. The set was cut short a few songs later as a threat of lighting shut everything down.
As the sky darkened, it started to rain and people scurried to various spots for cover, the smarter people going inside (I was not one of them). The rain came down harder and I was starting to think that Khruangbin were going to get rained out. There was more and more movement onstage and credit to the crew, they were actually able to get the stage ready even though it was still pouring out.
Khruangbin breaks their show up into two sets, on this tour the first one was a play through of their fantastic new album, A La Sala. The album is a little more laid back than previous efforts, but it is full of luscious textures and melodies, which were often a slow burn that really simmered in the night with the rain coming down.
You could tell the Texas trio (Mark Speer on guitar, Laura Lee Ochoa on bass and DJ Johnson on Drums, with everyone sharing vocal duties) was enjoying playing the new tunes. The highlights from the album were my highlights from the set, (“May Ninth, “Hold Me Up (Thank you)”, and “Three From Two”) and the set peaked with the blissful ending of “A Love International”. The album closer then ended the set, the dreamlike “Les Petits Gris” and they took a quick break.
A “Bin Bin” started off set two and got the crowd moving. After playing the new album, the second set was more of their older crowd favorites. The rain was a little too much for some, so the crowd thinned out and we seemed to lose some talkers and some of the more fairweather fans, so the crowd during this part of the show was really locked in.
Khruangbin’s vibe is generally a deep groove but right during the last section of “Lady and Man”, they seemed to flip the switch and the rest of the set felt like music you’d hear in a club vs. on a beach. The drenched crowd ate it up and tried to unsuccessfully to dance themselves dry, though the rain did finally let up towards the end of the second set.
Khruangbin next heads to the Midwest before wrapping up their US summer tour in Bonnaroo.
Set 1: Fifteen Fifty-Three, May Ninth, Ada Jean, Farolim de Felgueiras, Pon Pon, Todavia Viva, Juegos y Nube, Hold Me Up (Thank You), Caja de la Sala, Three from Two, A Love International, Les Petits Gris
Set 2: Bin Bin, August 10, Master of Life, Father Bird, Mother Bird, Lady and Man, So We Won’t Forget, Even Finds the Third Room, Time (You and I), People Everywhere (Still Alive)
Alt trio Khruangbin has announced they are embarking on a major North American tour with support from Hermano Gutiérrez, John Carroll Kirby, Peter Cat Recording Co., Men I Trust, and Arooj Aftab. The A LA SALA tour features a date at SPAC on May 26, Buffalo at Rockin’ At The Knox on May 28, and two dates at Forest Hills Stadium on Sept. 20 and 21.
Khruangbin was formed in 2009 with Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald Johnson on drums. They take their influence from 1960s Thai funk with their name translating to “Engine Fly” in Thai. The group has toured across the world, with praise from the NY Times, Billboard, and more. The trio recently announced their fourth studio album A LA SALA, their first LP in four years out on April 5. From the get-go, their journey has been its own, ignoring pop expectations and relying on internal aspirations and visions. The building blocks for A LA SALA’s12 songs were pieces found in Khruangbin’s creative past, parts of the band not lost, but not yet tapped into.
Over the last two years, Khruangbin has sold out shows at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre and London’s Alexandra Palace, released five live LPs showcasing their stage prowess – featuring guests such as Toro y Moi, Men I Trust and Nubya Garcia, collaborated with Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré honoring his late father, Ali Farka Touré, with the album Ali, and released their second collaborative EP with Leon Bridges, the sultry, chart-topping Texas Moon.
Photo Credit: David Black.
The Ecuadorian-Swiss sibling duo Hermanos Gutiérrez will be supporting Khruangbin on a run of shows in April. Known for their psychedelic, world-building guitar music, they just released their newest single “Blood Milk Moon”, a spacious and spectral tune that was hailed by WNYC as “night music that is somehow not dark” and named to UPROXX’s Best New Indie list. The single represents the group’s first new music since 2022’s El Bueno Y El Malo, their acclaimed and mythic debut for Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound.
The Khru Club artist presale for the North American tour starts on Tuesday, January 30 at 10 am local time, Spotify Fans’ first pre-sale is on January 31 @ 10 am local time, local/venue presale on Thursday, February 1 @ 10 am local time and regular on sale Friday, February 2 @ 10 am local time. To purchase tickets, visit here.
KHRUANGBINNORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
4/14/24 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/18/24 – Alex Madonna Expo Center – San Luis Obispo, CA*
4/21/24 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/23/24 – Brooklyn Bowl – Las Vegas, NV *
4/24/24 – Brooklyn Bowl – Las Vegas, NV *
4/26/24 – Revel – Albuquerque, NM *
4/27/24 – Revel – Albuquerque, NM *
5/22/24 – The Met – Philadelphia, PA ^
5/23/24 – The Met – Philadelphia, PA ^
5/25/24 – Boston Calling – Boston, MA
5/26/24 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY ^
5/28/24 – Rockin’ At The Knox – Buffalo, NY ^
5/29/24 – Jacob’s Pavillion – Cleveland, OH ^
5/31/24 – History – Toronto, ON ^
6/1/24 – History – Toronto, ON ^
6/2/24 – History – Toronto, ON ^
6/4/24 -The Masonic Temple Theatre – Detroit, MI ^
6/7/24 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
6/8/24 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL ^
6/9/24 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL ^
6/11/24 – Red Hat Amphitheater – Raleigh, NC
6/14/24 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN
8/15/24 – Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA %
8/16/24 – Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA %
8/18/24 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR %
8/19/24 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR %
8/21/24 – Kettlehouse – Bonner, MT %
8/22/24 Kettlehouse – Bonner, MT %
8/24/24 – Granary Live – Salt Lake City, UT %
8/27/24 – Red Rocks – Morrison, CO &
8/28/24 – Red Rocks – Morrison, CO %
9/20/24 – Forest Hills Tennis Stadium – New York, New York +
9/21/24 – Forest Hills Tennis Stadium – New York, New York +
9/23/24 – The Anthem – Washington, DC $
10/2/24 – The Factory – St.Louis, MO $
10/3/24 – The Factory – St.Louis, MO $
10/9/24 – Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, LA $
10/10/24- Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, LA $
* w/ Hermano Gutiérrez
^ w/ John Carroll Kirby
% w/ Peter Cat Recording Co.
+ w/ Men I Trust
$ w/ Arooj Aftab
Hermanos Gutiérrez Tour Dates
March 16 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
March 17 – The Underground – Charlotte, NC
March 19 – The Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA
March 20 – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
March 21 – Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
March 22 – Big Ears Festival – Knoxville, TN
March 24 – Lexington Opera House – Lexington, KY
April 14 – Coachella – Indio, CA
April 18 – San Luis Obispo – Alex Madonna Expo Center **
