WRCT is giving you TWO chances to win tickets to ZOOGMA w/ Universal Beat Union March 28 at Club Cafe. Tune in to Couch Dancing with DJ Firefly Wednesday (3/19) 2-5pm or The Hustle on Sunday (3/23) 3-5pm to win!
More info on the show below:
Music lovers who have attended summer music festivals in recent years may have seen signs and totems with the words “WTF is ZOOGMA?”
Evolving in the dirty south, ZOOGMA’s sound combines the sonic diversity and precision of a DJ with the excitement and immediacy of a four-piece rock group. ZOOGMA is able to blend genres in a musical experience that is refreshingly original yet steeped in dance music tradition, appealing to a range of audiences. Known for their energetic performances and retina pleasing light shows, the band consistently dishes out heavyweight beat-driven dance parties across the nation.
ZOOGMA will be in Pittsburgh for the first time on March 28, 2014, in support of their new album Anthems 4 Androids! This, and all of ZOOGMA’s music can be downloaded for free from zoogma.net.
Opening for ZOOGMA will be Pittsburgh’s Universal Beat Union. UBU is a progressive electronic/rock trio featuring WRCT’s DJ Firefly on synths, her husband ERX on electronic drums, and long-time Pittsburgh guitarist Paul Ferraro. With diverse tastes and backgrounds, this fiercely creative group serves up an intriguing blend of musical styles that suddenly seem to have more in common than anyone thought. A captivating symphony of three!
On March 5, WRCT welcomed female rapper and social/political/environmental activist Kellee Maize into the studio. She sat at her computer (homemade juice at hand), loaded up a beat, and began one of the most entertaining and interesting sessions I’ve been a part of. Quite literally. She had me clap alongand even sing with her for a few songs. The whole studio was bumping! Listen to the whole session below.
From the moment Kellee arrived, she had so much positive energy surrounding her that it was no surprise to hear how incredibly involved she is in the Pittsburgh community. Her company, Nakturnal, is dedicated to building and connecting artists within the community. Every other month they host an arts showcase called RAW which helps artists spread their work and their message. My favorite quote from the session: “We all have a voice and all have something to share, and it’s really about us all, together, growing.”
In the beginning of February two fantastic Chicago bands, Ant’lrd and Gardener, dropped by WRCT. They unpacked equipment, settled on the floor, and made time stand still for the next 50 minutes. Ant’lrd’s Colin Blanton used samplers and a keyboard and Gardener’s Dash Lewis used a modular synthesizer and effects pedals to create those ambient, electronic beats.
Because hearing their sets once wasn’t enough, that night, Blanton, Lewis, and I collected blankets, lamps, projectors, and people to create an impromptu music venue in that nook near the Purnell mailroom. They played for a tiny crowd, but were no less invested in creating the relaxing, introspective environment their music arouses. Overall, Colin and Dash were wonderfully easygoing and clearly love sharing their art.
Ant’lrd has a show coming up in Chicago at The Burlington. If you’re in Chicago on March 19, hit that up for a live taste of Blanton’s musical vibrations. I recommend it. Blanton has also released a new tape, “Biblioteca Nod Out,” for which you should be clicking this link: http://barorecords.bandcamp.com/album/biblioteca-nod-out
Dash Lewis of Gardener will be playing with White Laces during March and April. He’s opening for The War on Drugs on March 22 in our radio hometown, Pittsburgh. His new tape “This is Noise” comes out this month on Life Like. Dash’s solo project, Curtains, will be playing some shows around Virginia and North Carolina and has a new tape coming out on April 2 on Potluck Records. His band Critics (Dash+Meg Mulhearn) has a record coming out this spring.
Check out the in studio session with Gardener and Ant’lrd below:
