Brooklyn Comes Alive is returning bigger and better than ever in 2020! The fifth edition of the beloved all-day music marathon will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2020 at the versatile multi-stage complex, Avant Gardner. Inspired by the vibrant musical communities of Brooklyn and New Orleans, the event brings together more than 50 artists in new and existing acts, allowing them to carry out passion projects, play with their musical heroes, and create and collaborate in new, exciting ways.
The 2020 Brooklyn Comes Alive lineup features performances by Oteil & Friends, Turkuaz, Birds of a Feather feat. Members of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong & Goose, The Motet, Dr. Klaw, Robert Randolph & Friends, Anomalie / Deitch / MonoNeon, Here Come The Mummies, SPAGA Plays The Dead, and Karina Rykman, with late-night performances by Jade Cicada and a DJ set by Beats Antique.
During Brooklyn Comes Alive, Turkuaz will be joined by revered keyboardist Cory Henry (The Funk Apostles) as well as Ghost-Note percussionists/co-bandleaders Robert Sput Searight and Nate Werth. Werth will also join The Motet as a special guest during their set alongside guitar prodigy Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and vocalist Shira Elias (Turkuaz).
Jazz Fest After Dark mainstays Dr. Klaw—comprised of Eric Krasno (Soulive), Adam Deitch (Lettuce, Break Science) and Nigel Hall (Lettuce) alongside Nick Daniels and Ian Neville (Dumpstaphunk)—will be joined by Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk) and Lettuce’s Eric “Benny” Bloom and Ryan Zoidis for their stacked Brooklyn Comes Alive performance.
Additionally, Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company, The Allman Brothers Band) will present a special iteration of his ever-evolving project, Oteil & Friends, at Brooklyn Comes Alive. For this performance, Burbridge will be joined by pianist/keyboardist Jeff Chimenti (Dead & Company), a trio of guitarists including Eric Krasno (Soulive), Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead), and Tom Guarna (Blood, Sweat & Tears), keyboardist Jason Crosby (Phil Lesh & Friends), drummer John Kimock (Mike Gordon), percussionist Weedie Braimah, horn players Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce) and Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce), and vocalists Alfreda Gerald and Lamar Williams Jr. (Les Brers, The New Mastersounds).
Four-time Grammy Award nominee and pedal steel master Robert Randolph will present a Robert Randolph & Friends set conceptualized specifically for Brooklyn Comes Alive. The special set will feature celebrated saxophonist Karl Denson (Rolling Stones, Tiny Universe), keyboardist/vocalist Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), trumpeter Rashawn Ross (Dave Matthews Band), drummer Robert Sput Searight (Ghost-Note), and the enigmatic MonoNeon (Ghost-Note, Prince) on bass.
Birds of a Feather, a brand new collaboration dreamed up specifically for Brooklyn Comes Alive, will make their debut during the festival. The “bird band” supergroup will see guitarist Jeremy Schon and drummer Alex “Gator” Petropulos from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong team up with guitarist Rick Mitarotonda, keyboardist Peter Anspach, and bassist Trevor Weekz of Goose.
Funky Canadian electronic jazz keyboardist and producer Anomalie will make his Brooklyn Comes Alive debut in 2020. The rising keyboard virtuoso will perform with a trio which also features drummer Adam Deitch and bassist MonoNeon.
SPAGA, the new “mostly acoustic” project from keyboardist Aron Magner (The Disco Biscuits, Billy & The Kids) will play a special, one-off set of tunes from The Grateful Dead‘s iconic songbook. Featuring Jason Fraticelli on upright bass and Matt Scarano on drums, this jazz trio combines intricate compositions and expert-level improvisation with the exploratory creativity for which Magner’s various bands are known.
The trio founded by Marco Benevento bassist Karina Rykman featuring guitarist Adam November and drummer Chris Corsico will also perform at this year’s event. Additionally, Karina Rykman will spin DJ sets between sets in Avant Gardner’s Great Hall.
To close out the night, Brooklyn Comes Alive attendees will enjoy late-night sets by some of the most exciting electronic acts in the business. Denver, CO-based electronic music producer Jade Cicada, who sold out the PlayStation Theater on his last trip to NYC in October, will make his Brooklyn Comes Alive debut for a late-night performance. The Brooklyn Comes Alive late-night festivities will also include a rare Beats Antique DJ set featuring founding members and longtime collaborators David Satori and “Sidecar” Tommy Cappel.
Tickets to Brooklyn Comes Alive 2020 are on sale now. A festival pass to Brooklyn Comes Alive grants attendees access to the full schedule of programming across both stages, including the late-night sets. Fans can also purchase late-night-only passes, which grant attendees access to The Great Hall only from 12:00 a.m.–4:00 a.m. Brooklyn Comes Alive late-night passes can be purchased here.
Stay tuned to the official Brooklyn Comes Alive website and follow the Facebook event page for more information.
