The Gramophone

Rude Punch w/ Team Relevance , Sinezen and Kosha Dillz

Huge Tuesday Night Show!

Rude Punch was formed by three guys from Davenport, Iowa in the Spring of 2006.Brady Jager, Adam Tucker and Robb Laake have been playing together since they went to high school together in Davenport.Playing in a couple different bands, they noticed that when band practice was over they would meet up together outside of their other bands and play the music they really wanted to play…Reggae.

Local reggae funk quartet Team Relevance will be on the bill along with Sinezen (CA) and Kosha Dillz (NJ)

www.myspace.com/rudepunch

www.myspace.com/sinizen

www.myspace.com/teamrelevance

www.myspace.com/koshadillz

Doors 8pm
Show 9pm
$5 at the door

Nneka w/ Black Spade

Nneka schedule update (2/13 at 1:45 p.m.): Nneka will be taking the stage at 10 p.m. Come early so you don’t miss it!

Born in Nigeria, Nneka relocated some 10,000 miles to Hamburg, Germany, at the age of nineteen to pursue a career in singing along side a degree in Anthropology. Having landed in the German port, the singer hooked up with DJ and Hip-Hop beatmaker DJ Farhot and ever since, their strong musical relationship has been the backbone of Nneka’s success. Her influences reflect her younger days in Nigeria as well as her time in the Western world. The distance she has travels shines through in her voice as does her diverse musical influences. She cites famous compatriot Fela Kuti and legend Bob Marley as well as contemporary rappers Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep and Lauryn Hill as key influences in her pursuit of musical recognition.
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The Lowdown Brass Band

The Lowdown Brass Band, hailing from Chicago, IL, is a nine-piece, horn-driven ensemble with strong roots in the New Orleans 2nd Line Tradition. A fierce sousaphone sets the foundation for trumpets, trombones and saxophones to intertwine in a cacophony of tight lead lines, spontaneous call-and-response and bombastic brass attacks. While taking a page from the jazz and blues giants of the past, the LDB melds modern funk, hip-hop, reggae and pop into a unique new style. Lowdown forges new ground with original compositions that challenge the listener and player alike, breaking down the barrier between performer and audience.

The Lowdown Brass Band Myspace

Doors at 8pm
Show at 9pm
$5 at the door

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Chicago Afrobeat Project w/ Mama Rogers

As the world’s cultural and political climate evolves, so does its music. Rooted in the turbulence of social change, afrobeat coalesced decades ago from a fiery political landscape of Nigeria in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Now, with the polarized state of the world since the turn of the millennium, afrobeat again grips the world – this time, the American musical climate.
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Bongo Love w/ Mario Pascal of the Roots Fuzion Band

Bongo Love was formed in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe by John Mambira, who still heads up the band and Nhlanhla Ngwenya who has now moved to the UK to work on a drumming project. With John playing drums and providing lead vocals, Themba Mawoko was recruited for the lead marimba, Trymore Jombo for mbira and Mpho Mambira for the baritone marimba. “Afro-coustics”, as they call their genre, is a unique combination of styles delivered on these traditional instruments with lyrics in English, Shona and Ndebele.
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Spiritual Rez (Boston)

SPIRITUAL REZ is a Reggae Horn Funk Dance Party who tirelessly tours the country promoting their positive and extremely high energy music. Having released two records independently, the band has had many great opportunities to play with internationally known acts such as George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Gogol Bordello and Jimmy Buffet, as well as having keyboardist Bernie Worrell (Talking Heads, Parliament Funkadelic) play on their live shows.

Winners of the Boston Music Award for “Best World Music Act,” Spiritual Rez blends Reggae and funk with a zest of rock to make for one of the most energetic live shows around. The band formed in 2003 at Berklee College of Music with the partnership of frontman/songwriter Toft Willingham, bassist Jesse Shaternick, drummer Ian “Meat” Miller and lead guitarist/songwriter Van Gordon Martin collaborating their wide range of influences. With the addition of horns, the group attains a high level of energy that’s great for all ages and demographics.

Doors at 8 p.m., show at 10 p.m. $5/21+
www.myspace.com/spiritualrez

The Afromotive w/ Hazard to Ya Booty

Based in Asheville, NC, this large ensemble stays true to the elements that started afrobeat music- West African rhythms, song forms, and instrumentation- while bringing the music to the 21st Century through strong composition, improvisation, and heavy dance beats. Thirty-third generation djembe player Adama Dembele from Cote d‘Ivoire, West Africa brings his vast musical knowledge and touring experience to the Afromotive. These traditional West African rhythms combined with a mentality for upbeat funk music is what the Afromotive brings to its audiences. They have created a sound that crosses musical and ethnic boundaries.

Hazard to Ya Booty will perform an opening set to warm up your groove thang for shakin’.

Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. $5/21+

www.myspace.com/afromotive
www.myspace.com/hazardtoyabooty

Umoja Orchestra (Gainesville, FL)

From grooveshark.com: "A band that can fill the stage with upwards of 10 people, Umoja is a mix of jazz, Latin, afro-beat, and funk; this, even, is too confining. And with an array of styles, people of all castes and colors flock together as one in a sea of positivity.’Umoja means Unity,’ as the band always assures their fans. When I first met with Umoja it was in a very intimate setting, the band members layered across a living room couch. As I listened to them talk, I realized the band was righteous and honest. Saturday night, to kick off the completion of the first Umoja album, they played a CD release show. I was blown away. No longer did I hear what they had told me, I felt it; I was moved by it. Every person in the sold out show, and even those listening from the streets, shared my same view.

Umoja. Unity. Oneness. Call the power of love what you wish, but call Umoja a band with a gift."

Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. $5/21+

www.myspace.com/umojaorchestra

Tags: Umoja Orchestra