Longstanding NYC fusion outfit Escaper has surprised fans with its second live album of 2022, Live at Bowery Ballroom. The new recording captures the group’s performance at the famed New York venue on February 5th, 2022 alongside Space Bacon and Microcave.
Led by the creative core of Will Hanza (guitar, vocals) and Phil Kadet (keys, vocals), the Bowery show marked the official introduction of featured collaborators Luke Bemand (bass, lespecial) and Sam Crespo (drums, Space Bacon). Both Bemand and Crespo are slated to appear on Escaper’s currently scheduled live shows and forthcoming studio album, due out this fall in partnership with Telefunken and Ropeadope Records.
True to the band’s name, the Live at Bowery Ballroom show pushed through composed barriers and into uncharted dance jams and electronic rock grooves. Alongside originals old and new like “Res Magna” and “Spaceship”, Escaper worked through a unique take on Depeche Mode‘s “Enjoy the Silence” featuring clever bass nods to Bemand’s lespecial material. In addition to welcoming the new-look lineup, Escaper used the Bowery Ballroom show to give a nod to the band’s past. Friend and original Escaper member, Johnny Butler made a surprise appearance midway through new song “Cicada” and stayed through a rendition of “Rare Form,” from the album Edge Detection.
Escaper Live at Bowery Ballroom is now available exclusively on Bandcamp. The album will hit streaming services in the coming weeks. Scroll down to revisit a gallery of photos from the show via Ken Spielman.
The band hits the stage at Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue, NY this Saturday, July 9th and at LonCon Music Festival in Bethel, NY the weekend of September 9th. For a full list of upcoming Escaper dates, head here.
