Manic Presents / Premier Concerts Guest Post:
We’ve had HUGE show announcements this week! Aziz Ansari will be doing a couple last minute popup shows at College Street Music Hall THIS TUESDAY 9/25. The early show at 7:00PM is sold out, but there are still some tickets available for the late show at 9:30PM!
Other just announced shows include Todd Rogers Benefit Show featuring The Pist, Mike & Ron from Spring Heeled Jack, World Game, The Redactions, and Ponybird (10/7), The Felice Brothers (11/23), and Old 97’s Holiday Extravaganza (12/12) at Space Ballroom with Paul Simon’s “Graceland” performed by The London African Gospel Choir on (2/21) at College Street Music Hall. Tickets for all shows go on sale this Friday at 10:00AM.
We have a packed week of shows starting TONIGHT (9/20) at Space Ballroom with Portland, Oregon metal band Red Fang who will team up with Big Business and Dead Now (ex-Torche); tomorrow (9/21) comedian Anthony Jeselnik comes to College Street Music Hall after a successful year of touring with Chris Rock; (9/23) Speak Up Storytelling presents “Now or Never” at Space Ballroom, the first of a new monthly storytelling series; later that night we have Mexican alternative rockers Café Tacvba (who are known to play arenas in their native country) stopping by College Street for an intimate show on (9/23).
This week’s Manic Monday(9/24) at Cafe Nine features classically trained cellist Helen Money who draws inspiration from artists such as Pablo Casals, Shostakovich, and even Jimi Hendrix and The Minutemen.
Enter in this week’s contest to win a pair of free tickets to Chromeo on (10/4) at College Street Music Hall, a copy of their album Fancier Footwork on vinyl, and a CD of their newest album, Head Over Heels, which was released this past June.
Enter Here: https://goo.gl/forms/
Read the rest of the blog to find out more about upcoming shows!
Upcoming Shows
*Red Fang w/ Big Business, Dead Now
September 20th @ Space Ballroom (Hamden)
$25 ($22 adv)
INFO: Ever since their inception in 2005, Portland’s RED FANG have strived to write heavy, catchy music underlaid with subtle complexities. Founded by David Sullivan, Maurice Bryan Giles, Aaron Beam, and John Sherman, the band had a distinctive and fully-formed sound right from the start: a mix of compelling songwriting and hard rocking euphoria that speaks to the headbanger, the hesher, and the music student alike. The band’s two-pronged vocal attack and knack for finding the sharpest hooks made sure that the music world caught on right away. Within just one year of RED FANG’s first show, they were opening for genre stalwarts the Melvins and Big Business, and soon began appearing at festivals including FYF, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Sasquatch Fest, and more.
RESERVE TICKETS NOW: https://ticketf.ly/2L5El6l
*Anthony Jeselnik: Funny Games w/ Jacqueline Novak
Friday, September 21st @ College Street Music Hall (New Haven)
$35
INFO: Jeselnik is a comedy industry veteran wowing audiences for over 15 years. 2017 was a banner year for Anthony as he toured with Chris Rock’s Total Blackout tour and perfected his new hour, workshopping in clubs across North America. He started his comedy career by starring in and creating Comedy Central’s THE JESELNIK OFFENSIVE, which ran for two seasons. He went on to write and appear for several Comedy Central Roasts, most notable: THE ROAST OF DONALD TRUMP and THE ROAST OF CHARLIE SHEEN. Anthony was the first ever stand-up comic to appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He also wrote for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as well as received an Emmy Nomination for his work on A NIGHT OF TOO MANY STARS: AN OVERBOOKED CONCERT FOR AUTISTIC EDUCATION. In 2008 Jeselnik was named as one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch, and in 2009 was named Comedy Central’s Hot Comics. In 2010, Anthony released his debut comedy album SHAKESPEARE through Comedy Central Records. In 2013, he released CALIGULA, his first hour long special, to critical acclaim. Jeselnik hosted season nine of NBC’s LAST COMIC STANDING alongside judges Norm Macdonald, Roseanne Barr and Keenan Ivory Wayans. His last official tour was in 2014 and ended in early 2015 when he shot his critically acclaimed Netflix special THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE: https://ticketf.ly/2Nk7vyJ
*Speak Up Storytelling presents “Now or Never”
Sunday, September 23rd @ Space Ballroom Front Room (Hamden)
$20 ($15 adv)
INFO: Speak Up is a Hartford-based storytelling organization that seeks to promote the art of personal storytelling to a wide audience and foster and support a community of storytellers in Connecticut. Speak Up brings professional and amateur storytellers to the stage to share true stories from their lives. Speak Up founders and producers, Matthew and Elysha Dicks, work closely with storytellers to help them craft their stories for the stage and teach storytelling workshops to storytellers and professionals at all levels.
Speak Up shows feature storytellers who tell true stories from their lives on a predetermined theme. Our shows showcase a blend of seasoned storytellers and people telling stories for the first time and always promise to be surprising and entertaining.
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE: https://ticketf.ly/2M1lFYw
*Café Tacvba: Niu Güeis Tour 2018
Sunday, September 23rd @ College Street Music Hall (New Haven)
$35
INFO: Cafe Tacvba is widely recognized as Mexico’s leading alternative rock band and indeed one of the most influential alternative groups to come out of Latin America, spearheading a non-conformist musical movement with their blending of elements such as rock, indigenous folk, electronic and punk music. With a career spanning over 25 years, they continue to expand an already massive audience of devoted fans throughout the Americas, Europe and beyond. They have won multiple Latin Grammys and a Grammy, and their album, Re, was named the “Number One Latin Rock Album of All Time” in 2013. (Rolling Stone)
Starting out in the ‘80s as a garage band of graphic design students in the northern Mexico City suburb of Satélite, the band took the name Cafe Tacuba (changed later to Cafe Tacvba) in 1989, when they solidified the lineup as lead singer Rubén Albarrán, guitarist José Alfredo Rangel (Joselo), bassist Enrique Rangel (Quique), and keyboardist Emmanuel del Real (Meme). Their flare for presenting a mix of rock, new wave and regional Mexican sounds with light-hearted irreverence made them a sensation on the club scene in Mexico City, and caught the attention of then up-and-coming Argentine producer Gustavo Santaolalla. After arranging their contract with Warner Music, Santaolalla produced their first album, Cafe Tacuba, (1992), beginning a long and fruitful collaboration for albums to come. The band’s original lineup of four remains the same today, though they have diversified their roles within the band. Each a musician/composer in his own right, they continue to pursue individual artistic projects as well. Regular adjunct musicians include Alejandro Flores, violin, beginning in 1994, and drummer Luis “El Children” Ledezma, in 2003.
GET TICKETS NOW: https://ticketf.ly/2rd64ZO
*Helen Money w/ Sea of Bones, T Wreck
Monday, September 24th @ Cafe Nine (New Haven) (Manic Mondays)
INFO: Alison Chesley, known also by her stage name Helen Money, is a classically trained cellist who draws her inspiration not only from Pablo Casals and Shostakovich but Jimi Hendrix and The Minutemen. She began playing the cello at the age of 8 in her hometown of Los Angeles, and through her undergrad and graduate studies, steered a course towards a career in classical music. While in Chicago attending Northwestern University, however, her focus shifted towards the rock music she had always loved. The instigation came from Jason Narducy, a singer/songwriter inspired by Bob Mould, who was looking for a cellist to perform new material with him. Together they formed the band Jason & Alison, then Verbow, becoming a force on Chicago’s active club scene. They came to the attention of Epic Records and released two recordings for the label, produced by Bob Mould and Brad Wood respectively. Alas, like many major label signings from that era they were dropped unceremoniously and disbanded. At a crossroads of sorts, Alison decided to go full steam ahead in pursuit of a career outside of classical music. She began a busy period as a solo artist, especially on Chicago’s then thriving studio scene, where she played on over 100 albums including those by Bob Mould, Broken Social Scene, Anthrax, Mono, Russian Circles, Disturbed and Poi Dog Pondering. She began composing music for films, theater and dance including two world premiers with the modernist icon Shirley Mordine.
Free with RSVP ($5 at the door)
*Aziz Ansari Working Out New Material
Tuesday, September 25th– 7PM @ College Street Music Hall (New Haven)
Tuesday, September 25th – 9:30PM @ College Street Music Hall (New Haven)
$39.81
INFO: This event is fully reserved seated.
TICKET DELIVERY FOR THIS EVENT WILL BE WILL CALL ONLY. Valid photo ID required to claim seats. Will call tickets must be picked up by the purchaser only. ALTERNATE NAMES FOR WILL CALL WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
**No cellphones, cameras or recording devices will be allowed. Upon arrival, all devices will be secured in Yondr pouches that will be unlocked at the end of the show. Guests maintain possession of their phones throughout the night. Anyone caught with a cellphone will be immediately ejected. We appreciate your cooperation in creating a phone-free viewing experience.**
Oh Brudder Productions own all rights in the content and materials delivered during his performance (the “Materials”). Any use of the Materials without the express prior written consent of Oh Brudder Productions is strictly prohibited and is punishable to the full extent of the law.
September 25th @ 7PM – SOLD OUT
September 25th @ 9:30 PM – TICKETS GOING FAST : https://ticketf.ly/2NnQ8BH
SHOW ANNOUNCEMENTS
*Aziz Ansari Working Out New Material
Tuesday, September 25th– 7PM @ College Street Music Hall (New Haven)
Tuesday, September 25th – 9:30PM @ College Street Music Hall (New Haven)
$39.81
INFO: This event is fully reserved seated.
TICKET DELIVERY FOR THIS EVENT WILL BE WILL CALL ONLY. Valid photo ID required to claim seats. Will call tickets must be picked up by the purchaser only. ALTERNATE NAMES FOR WILL CALL WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
**No cellphones, cameras or recording devices will be allowed. Upon arrival, all devices will be secured in Yondr pouches that will be unlocked at the end of the show. Guests maintain possession of their phones throughout the night. Anyone caught with a cellphone will be immediately ejected. We appreciate your cooperation in creating a phone-free viewing experience.**
Oh Brudder Productions own all rights in the content and materials delivered during his performance (the “Materials”). Any use of the Materials without the express prior written consent of Oh Brudder Productions is strictly prohibited and is punishable to the full extent of the law.
September 25th @ 7PM – SOLD OUT
September 25th @ 9:30 PM – TICKETS GOING FAST : https://ticketf.ly/2NnQ8BH
*Todd Rogers Benefit Feat. THE PIST w/ Mike & Ron from Spring Heeled Jack, World Game, The Redactions, Ponybird
Sunday, October 7th @ Space Ballroom (Hamden)
$15-$100
INFO: Every scene has unsung heroes who spend their lives contributing to that what has brought us all together. Todd Rogers is such a person. As frontman of prolific CT punk act Boiling Man, to working at the legendary Tune Inn and painting their iconic sign, to spending 15 years as art director for Asbestos Records (as well as designing albums, shirts and websites for dozens of other CT bands, labels, record stores, coffee shops, and dozens of posters for Manic Presents. Todd recently suffered from a debilitating condition that led to having emergency surgery to remove and replace 4 discs from his spine. Even after insurance coverage, the operation and subsequent rehab ran tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket, and Todd will have to spend months of recovery to get back to his art. Asbestos Records & Manic Presents are hosting this show to help Todd get back on his feet. Tickets available on a sliding scale, and any additional donations are greatly appreciated.
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW: https://ticketf.ly/2xtTZlM
*The Felice Brothers
Friday, November 23rd @ Space Ballroom (Hamden)
$25 ($20 adv)
INFO: The Felice Brothers’ album, Life in the Dark, out on Yep Roc, is classic American music. At once plainspoken and deeply literate, the band’s latest features nine new songs that capture the hopes and fears, the yearning and resignation, of a rootless, restless nation at a time of change.
Life in the Dark also coincides with The Felice Brothers’ 10th anniversary as a band. Hailed by the AV Club for a sound at once “timeless, yet tossed-off,” they’ve released plenty of music over the past decade, often on their own without a record label, but the new album is the fullest realization yet of the band’s DIY tendencies. Self-produced by the musicians and engineered by James Felice (who also contributed accordion, keyboards and vocals), the Felice Brothers made Life in the Dark themselves in a garage on a farm in upstate New York, observed only by audience of poultry.
Because of makeshift studio set-up, the music they made was necessarily stripped down, emphasizing acoustic instruments and spacious arrangements on songs that showcase the sound of a band playing together live, with echoes in the music of Woody Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine and rural blues.
TICKETS ON SALE FRI. 9/21 @ 10AM: https://ticketf.ly/2xzhj1L
*Bernice
Monday, December 3rd @ Cafe Nine (New Haven) (Manic Mondays)
INFO: Bernice, the project of Toronto-based vocalist/songwriter Robin Dann, blends “melodies reminiscent of artists like Sade with the playful sounds of artists like Deerhoof and Dirty Projectors” (Pigeons & Planes). Dann is a trained vocalist with a Masters in Music from Goldsmiths, University of London, and her band – Thom Gill (keyboards/samples), Felicity Williams (vocals), Phil Melanson (percussion), and Dan Fortin (bass) – features active members of Bahamas, Owen Pallett, Leif Vollebekk, and DIANA.
Following the release of two singles – “St Lucia” and “Don’t Wanna Be European” – Bernice hit the road supporting Martha Wainwright and released Puff, a 5-song EP in June ‘17 to resounding critical acclaim from Pitchfork, NPR, Zane Lowe, and The Fader. Stereogum and Exclaim Magazine named the release as one of the ‘Best EPs of 2017. Puff was produced by Grammy Award-winner Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Lucius) and Matt Smith (Owen Pallett).
Bernice followed the maximalist EP with minimalist sophomore album Puff: In The Air Without A Shape released in May ’18 on Arts & Crafts. Continuing their enigmatic exploration of pop, jazz, and R&B, Bernice’s new album attempts to mimic the playful intimacy of the band’s live show. The album was called “a monument to ephemerality” by the New York Times and received a long-list nomination for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize.
Free with RSVP ($5 at the door)
*Old 97’s Holiday Extravaganza!
December 12th @ Space Ballroom (Hamden)
$30 ($25 adv)
INFO: To say that rock and roll has been good to the Old 97’s (guitarist/vocalist Miller, bassist/vocalist Murry Hammond, guitarist Ken Bethea, and drummer Philip Peeples) would be an understatement. The band emerged from Dallas twenty years ago at the forefront of a musical movement blending rootsy, country-influenced songwriting with punk rock energy and delivery. The New York Times has described their major label debut, ‘Too Far To Care,’ as “a cornerstone of the ‘alternative country’ movement…[that] leaned more toward the Clash than the Carter Family.” They’ve released a slew of records since then, garnering praise from NPR and Billboard to SPIN and Rolling Stone, who hailed the band as “four Texans raised on the Beatles and Johnny Cash in equal measures, whose shiny melodies, and fatalistic character studies, do their forefathers proud.” The band performed on television from Letterman to Austin City Limits and had their music appear in countless film and TV soundtracks (they appeared as themselves in the Vince Vaughn/Jennifer Aniston movie ‘The Break Up’). Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan told The Hollywood Reporter that he put the band on a continuous loop on his iPod while writing the show’s final scene.
TICKETS ON SALE 9/21 @ 10AM: https://ticketf.ly/2xq1wlH
*Paul Simon’s “Graceland” performed by The London African Gospel Choir w/ The Duke of New York DJ
Tuesday, February 21st @ College Street Music Hall (New Haven)
INFO: “This is where the London African Gospel Choir was born,” says founder and director Crystal Kassi. We’ve turned off a busy SE London street into a secluded enclave ringed by trees and terraced houses, their wooden, brightly painted verandas overlooking a communal garden with seats half-hidden by shrubs. Exchange the UK foliage for palm trees and we could be in Latin America, the Caribbean or Africa. It’s a fitting birthplace for a musical venture rooted in community and creative expression, and that’s brought African gospel out of the black churches and into the hearts of audiences worldwide.
“What makes us different is that we all come from different countries in the African Diaspora,” she explains. “We have people from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Uganda and the Congo… We all come from different churches as well. The common denominator is our faith, although we welcome everybody.”
What also sets them apart is their repertoire – a dazzling reflection of the choir’s diverse membership and that includes secular songs with a positive message. It’s the meaning of the words that counts and Paul Simon’s Graceland – acclaimed as “one of the most iconic records in rock and roll history” on its release in 1986 – is a perfect fit with its uplifting lyrics and South African rhythms and melodies.
TICKETS ON SALE FRI. 9/21 @ 10AM: https://ticketf.ly/2NoP1l8
**Tickets are available for all these shows in the shop (cash only for ticket sales) without the online fees. **