This Saturday, October 22, Brooklyn Comes Alive is taking over Williamsburg for the second year in a row. Inspired by the vibrant musical communities of Brooklyn and New Orleans, the festival is bringing over 50 musicians together to perform in specially-crafted supergroup formations for once-in-a-lifetime collaborations across three nearby venues within a 10-minute walking radius. From rock to jam, funk to jazz, electronic to hip-hop, there’s something for everyone. The full lineup can be found here.
Brooklyn Comes Alive has also added a few more artists to the lineup, including a special cocktail hour with DJ Logic, keyboardist Steve Molitz (Particle), drummer Scotty Zwang (formerly Dopapod), and bassist Luke Bemand (lespecial) at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Maurice Brown (Tedeschi Trucks Band) and Chauncey Yearwood (High & Mighty Brass Band) will also be joining the Tribute to J Dilla with Borahm Lee, Adam Deitch, Adam Smirnoff, Nate Edgar, and Stu Brooks. With Brooklyn being known for its artistic residencies, you’ll never know who else might show up to play during this daylong event!
Today, the festival announces the full schedule for all three venues. From brunch at The Hall at MP Taverna to late-nights at Brooklyn Bowl and Music Hall of Williamsburg, the day is to be jam-packed with non-stop music, first-time experiences, and a vibe only available in Brooklyn, New York. Tickets to the event grants you access to all three venues, and can be found here. More information can be found on the event’s website.
Get pumped with this Brooklyn Comes Alive playlist!
The Hall at MP
The All Brothers Band: Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company, Allman Brothers), keyboardist and flautist Kofi Bubridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Derek Trucks Band), keyboardist Neal Evans (Lettuce, Soulive) and drummer Alan Evans (Soulive, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe) are making their debut performance as “The All Brothers Band.” The brothers collaborated for an EP earlier this year, though they’ve yet to present this project for public ears. We can expect smooth layers of funk and jazz with these players, but there’s really no telling what they might have in store.
The Coomes Brothers: Featuring Lettuce’s Jesus Coomes and his brother Ty Coomes, along with Lettuce’s Adam Smirnoff, Eric “Benny” Bloom, and Ryan Zoidis, this group is sure to bring intergalactic funk and freestyle fusion, with roots of hip-hop, R&B, and soul mixed in.
Holly Bowling: Holly Bowling is a classically trained pianist who began playing piano at the age of five. There’s one major distinction, however, that separates her from other similarly studied musicians. That is Holly’s devotion to the legendary rock band Phish. The past year has seen Holly expand her repertoire into the realm of the Grateful Dead. Using classical piano technique to reinterpret these jamband luminaries, Holly’s live performances infuse new with old, tradition with surreal, and creates a concert experience like nothing else in the music world.
Jason Hann’s Rythmatronix: Jason Hann is bringing an all-star group of musicians to join his NYC edition of the Rhythmatronix, featuring Oteil Burbridge, virtuoso guitarist Fareed Haque (Sting, Joe Zawinul, Garaj Mahal), keyboardist Todd Stoops (RAQ, Electric Beethoven), and Afrocuban drummer Raul Pineda (Chucho Valdez, Sintesis). When we spoke to Hann about the new project, he excitedly described it as “global fusion music with a collection of badass musicians playing international grooves.” More information here.
Reed Mathis and Electric Beethoven: A brand new instrumental collective with a direct focus on the classical suites of composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. The brainchild of bassist Reed Mathis, the band features Jay Lane (drums), Todd Stoops (keys), and Clay Welch (guitar) in a movement that can only be described as “Classical Dance Music.” More information here.
Roosevelt Collier’s NY Get Down: The pedal steel guitar player will lead bassist Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Rob Compa (Dopapod), Eli Winderman(Dopapod), and Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu) through a set of game-changing jams and deep cuts alike. More information here.
Tim Palmieri & Friends: Selecting a band of musicians that will bring the funk, the fusion, and the party, Tim is ready to entertain you with guitar shredding and good times! Featuring Alan Evans on drums, Dan Edinberg on bass, Rob Marscher on keys, Rob Somerville on sax/vocals, Johnny Durkin on percussion, and Jen Durkin on vocals – this band is an amalgamation of the Northeast jam sound. Expect the unexpected.
Organ Freeman: It’s some serious toe-tapping jives, fueled by the trio hard at work: guitarist Erik Carlson, drummer Rob Humphreys and organist Trevor Steer. Like many bands comprised of tight-laced musicianship, Organ Freeman emerged from an intensive music program called the Musicians Institute of Hollywood. Steer explains that the group “initially formed the group as more of an opportunity to experiment than a serious project while we were all students, and continued on as a creative outlet while we all played out as freelance musicians. It wasn’t until years later when we were presented with the chance to do a record that the band sort of morphed into what it is today.” More information here.
Brooklyn Bowl
Earth, Wind & Power: For the second time, The Nth Power will lead Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge, Natalie Cressman, Skerik, The Shady Horns, Farnell Newton, Danny Sadownick, and more through a tribute to Earth, Wind And Fire. Perhaps one of the most talked-about sets of the Jazz Fest season, “Earth, Wind & Power” isn’t letting the fire extinguish just yet. More information here.
DRKWAV: Featuring keyboardist John Medeski (MMW, The Word), drummer Adam Deitch (Lettuce, Break Science), and saxophonist Skerik (Garage A Trois, Critters Buggin’), the trio revels in the pitch black while continuously discovering beauty and shedding light through sonic exploration. Expect a unique blend of space-shifting jazz, experimental rock, and psychedelic transformations. More information here.
Scott Metzger, Joe Russo, Robert Walter, and Andy Hess: This will be the group’s second show together, following their performance as “The Brooklyn Bowl All-Stars” in August of 2014. There’s a distinct mix of rock, soul, funk, and jam in the mix – so be sure not to miss these all-star musicians as they make their BCA debut. More information here.
Natalie Cressman presents Nikki Glaspie, Will Bernard, Chris Bullock, Benny Rietveld, and Samora Pinderhughs: Raised in an eclectic musical household, Natalie Cressman has only continued to diversify and expand her musical universe. Still in her early 20s, the trombonist/composer/vocalist has assimilated the full range of her sonic influences into a startlingly mature, strikingly original voice that melds the sophistication of modern jazz with captivating storytelling and intoxicating melodies reminiscent of indie rock’s most distinctive songwriters. Cressman has spent much of the last four years touring the jam band circuit with Phish’s Trey Anastasio, while also performing with jazz luminaries Nicholas Payton, Wycliffe Gordon, and Peter Apfelbaum. With Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power), Will Bernard (Stanton Moore Trio), Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy), Benny Rietveld (Santana), and Samora Pinderhughs (Emily King, Branford Marsalis) on board, this set is sure to be jaw-droppingly wonderful.
Ripe: Ripe is a Funk/Pop band out of Boston, MA that was born as a result of its seven members’ uniting over one belief: with enough passion and honesty, music can still make the earth shake. With one eye looking back to the inception of both funk and psychedelic music, and the other looking forward with a modern concept of what makes people move, Ripe seeks both to honor musical history as well as to make it. The perfect fruit is equal parts past and present, and this is the approach of the Ripe sound. More about them here.
The Music Hall of Williamsburg
A Tribute To J Dilla: Led by Break Science’s Borahm Lee, the tribute will run deep in the roots of hip-hop with fine-tuned artists, drummer Adam Deitch (Lettuce/Break Science), guitarist Adam Smirnoff (Lettuce), bassist Nate Edgar (The Nth Power), bassist Stu Brooks (Matisyahu, 50 Cent, Pretty Lights), trumpeter Maurice Brown (Tedeschi Trucks Band), Chauncey Yearwood (High & Mighty Brass Band), and more. Since his untimely death in 2006, Dilla’s productions have achieved cult status, and his legacy has grown with posthumous album releases and a slew of tributes by everyone from Flying Lotus to Kendrick Lamar. Brooklyn Comes Alive looks forward to honoring the beat master with some of the most creative players to date. More information here.
[Br]eaking [Bi]scuits: Break Science’s Adam Deitch and Borahm Lee are teaming up with The Disco Biscuits’ Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner for a one-time-only collaboration, merging together the worlds of electronic, hip-hop, psychedelic grooves and heavy jams. More information here.
BRASSTRACKS: The Brooklyn-based power duo, self-described as “future brass”, were recently featured on Chance The Rapper‘s Coloring Book for the hit song “No Problem” but its their original music that truly showcases the young talents of Ivan Jackson (trumpet) and Conor Rayne (drums). Check them out!
Brownie DJ Set: The Disco Biscuits bassist will be mixing deep cuts, throwbacks, and his favorite dance tunes for a special night in funky town! If you’ve never seen Marc Brownstein throw down a DJ set, don’t sleep on this one.
Horizon Wireless Live: NYC’s own Horizon Wireless blends psychedelic break-beat & house music with a variety of other styles including trip-hop, minimal tech-funk, and nu-jazz to create smooth, high energy, and live soulful dance experiences for fans of all genres of music. The band includes Teddy Midnight’s guitar virtuoso Willey Griffin, Lespecial’s low-end wizard Luke Bemand on bass, Daniel Scott Lyons behind the kit, and a rotating cast of keyboardists as well.
Manic Focus And Friends: Manic Focus is the beat-bumpin’ project of John “JmaC” McCarten, a Chicago-based electronic music producer hailing from the Twin Cities. A multi-dimensional artist with a rowdy style unbound to any one genre, Manic Focus transcends sound waves by fusing soulful blues with heavy-hitting bass, creating a resonating tone that’s entirely his own. And he’s bringing some very special friends!
DJ Logic/Molitz/Zwang: Turntablist and live music staple DJ Logic is hosting a special set with keyboardist Steve Molitz (Particle) and drummer Scotty Zwang (formerly Dopapod). The three musicians will present a genre-defying performance of live improvisational jamming that will set the perfect tone for the rest of the night. See you on the dance floor!