NIGHTLIFE AND EVENTS BLOG Flawless Escape                     Started in College Station, Texas in 2005, Flawless Escape is an experimental rock band that sings songs about life and love with the intention of inspiring hope in the audience listening. During their shows, the band strives to take listeners to a different place, almost as an out of mind experience, by painting a mural of music and lyrics. The whimsical group entertains audiences not only with their sound, but with their energy and antics. AJ “AJae” captivates on-lookers not only with his soulful lyrics of “philosophical depth and face value fun,” but also with his signature back flips. AJ is a talented poet who brings a great deal of artistic value to Flawless Escape. Ryan “Riz” Vyner is the band’s drummer. Vyner has been playing drums for 18 years and brings nothing but perfect drum beats to the band’s music. Flawless Escape has another music veteran, Scott Willson, who has 13 years of experience playing guitar. The band also includes Kurt Willson on bass, Asaad Gomez on guitar and Jeremy Thorpe (DJ Sol-R) who is a jack of all trades, including Mix Master, Sax Player and BMX Shredder. Flawless Escape is touring New England early next week! Listen To Their Music and Buy Tickets to the show. Matt Shwachman Artist: Matt Shwachman Influences: Bob Marley, John Mayer, Ben Harper, 2pac, Pearl Jam, Howie Day, John Butler Trio, State Radio, Bob Dylan, Cold Play, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, The Police, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 311, Sublime Matt Shwachman is a Boston-based musician. His interest in music began at age 5 when his mother bought him the Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill cassette. Matt’s music sounds like a mix of Dave Matthews Band and Bob Marley with his acoustic guitar driven blend of pop and rock with heavy lyrics that tackle difficult philosophical questions. Matt’s first finished song reached listeners across the country with its play time on the television hit series One  Tree Hill. Matt said about the song, titled “Side of the Road,” “When I wrote ‘Side of the Road’ it was a moment of liberation for me…It was the first time that I really felt passionate about something. It’s a song about finding your own way in the world, chasing your dreams, and not letting what everyone else thinks get in the way of that.” After graduating from University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2001, Matt released his first album 3 years later titled A Night in the Life of Shwach. The CD is a mix of full of upbeat reggae music with insightful and reflective lyrics. Matt’s recently released album Uncharted Territory “is a journey about the process, not the end result…We are all ever-evolving, changing and growing people. It is the growth process that brings fulfillment, and in order to attain any sense of it, it must be earned.” This album is Matt’s personal account that speaks to love and relationships, existentialism, spirituality, and transformation. Matt is currently on tour to promote Uncharted Territory with his recently recruited band members: Bassist: Chris Corbett Guitarist: Keith Petit Drummer/Percussionist: Nick Jarvis Listen to Matt Shwachman on Myspace or buy tickets to his upcoming show. Eek-A-Mouse Artist: Eek-A-Mouse Influenced by: Nat King Cole, Cab Calloway, Patsy Cline, The Beatles, Marty Robbins, and Sam Cooke Born in Jamaica on November 19, 1957, Ripton Joseph Hylton (Eek-A-Mouse), grew to become a 6 foot 6 inch tall, international reggae phenomenon. In 1979, Eek-A-Mouse chose his name from a horse that he often bet on that never won - except for the one time Eek-A-Mouse didn’t bet on him. Eek-A-Mouse has been producing music since the 1970s, when he released music under his legal name. His first release was produced by his college math teacher. The song “Wah Do Dem” in 1980 made Eek-A-Mouse a household name in Jamaica, but the song was deemed too controversial to make it to international radio stations. Eek-A-Mouse is regarded as the originator of Sing-Jaying - a mix of singing, DJ-ing and boastful catch phrases. Eek-A-Mouse has a distinct way of using his voice as a musical instrument to add to the strong messages he sings about which relate to current events in the world. He is known for his ability to freestyle lyrics and his nasally vocal style. While touring, Eek-A-Mouse performed over 200 shows a year in the United States, Germany, The United Kingdom, The West Indies, and The Netherlands. He has collaborated with artists including POD, Papas Culture, MC Torch, Cocoa Brovaz, and BranVan 3000. Eek-A-Mouse also had a small role in gangster film New Jack City. CDs 1980 - Bubble Up Yu Hip 1981 - Wa-Do-Dem 1982 - Skidip! 1983 - The Mouse and the Man, The Assassinator 1984 - Mouseketeer, Live At Reggae Sunsplash 1985 - The King and I 1987 - The Very Best Of, Mouse-A-Mania 1988 - Eek-A-Nomics 1991 - U-Neek 1996 - Black Cowboy 1997 - Ras Portraits 2001 - Eeksperience (First Full-Length CD), Greensleeves Wa-Do-Dem 2003 - The Very Best Of Vol. 2 2004 - Mouse Gone Wild, Eek-A-Speeka Listen To Eek-A-Mouse or Buy Tickets for his current tour! Mark Bryan                     Artist: Mark Bryan Influenced by: The Replacements, Cowboy Mouth, Fishbone, Led Zeppelin, The Who Guitarist and song writer of the multi-platinum group Hootie & The Blowfish, Mark Bryan recently embarked on a side solo career in 2000. Bryan's first solo CD was titled 30 On The Rail, coinciding with his age of 33 at  the time. Born in 1967, Bryan's two favorite bands are Led Zeppelin and The Who. Recorded in his studio just outside of Charlestown, South Carolina, Bryan's newest solo CD, released in Mark, is titled End of the Front. The CD includes 12 songs varying from punk to pop, rock to bluegrass. Bryan sees the eclectic collection of sounds as a positive feature of the CD, stating, "I don't think about the formats when I write...I write lyrics from the heart, and hope that the music matches the emotion. I think that the format diversity is one of the strengths of this project." Bryan recorded the album with the help of his friends on some of the vocals and instruments, and 3 of the tracks feature co-producer Fred LeBlanc - the drummer and lead singer of Cowboy Mouth. Bryan's 3 piece band, The Occasional Milkshake, also played a part in the completion of his newest solo collection. The Occasional Milkshake includes himself, Hank Futch from the Blue Dogs and Gary Greene from Hootie And The Blowfish. Bryan continues to record and perform with Hootie And The Blowfish, but also enjoys his strong solo career. Listen to Mark Bryan at Myspace or Buy Tickets for his show. Blackbutton Band: Blackbutton Reminiscent of: Delta Blues Blackbutton is a mixture of alternative rock and blues thanks to lead singer and guitarist Jordan Tavenner and drummer Anshul Jain. Jordan began his performance career in 2005 as a solo, acoustic artist. Two years went by until Anshul joined him in 2007, creating the unstoppable, alternative jazz duo that is Blackbutton. To imagine Jordan's voice first listen to Tom Waits and Gavin Rossdale (from the band Bush), and then imagine what their love-child would sound like. Jordan's lyrics about heart-wrenching love, loss and abandonment pull out our own experiences and bring us into the song as we've never experienced before. Both Jordan and Anshul seem to be linked together as one - evident from their perfect timing and in-sync delivery of every chord, melody and lyric. Listen and learn more about Blackbutton or buy tickets to their next show. hemlok Band: Hemlok Sounds Like: Rush, King Crimson Hemlok is a mix between alternative hard rock and old school prog. The group is known for their chaotic lineup changes and dramatic live performances. Their influences include: Alice in Chains, A Perfect Circle and Pink Floyd. John McGrath - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Double Neck Guitar, Theremin, Violin Bow, Devices John constantly works to make his guitar sound like anything but a guitar. However, don’t let that make you think he doesn’t appreciate a good melody when he comes across one. Some of his favorite artists include: King Crimson, VAST, Generator, Muse, Van Der Graaf, Genesis, and Rush. Chris Whittier - Vocals, Guitar, Screams Chris released a CD on his own in 2005 under the name Seeking Quiddity. His trademark is his ability to take simple songs and mix them together with powerful emotions to create a unique compilation. Jay Myers - Electronic Percussion, Drums Jay grew up in a supportive, musical family. He became interested in drums at the young age of four, however it wasn’t until the third grade that Jay graduated from his children’s toy drum set to taking drum lessons.  Jay is influenced by Phish and Rush, and is the coolest member of the group because he loves Spaghettios. Brianne Alves - Keyboards, Electric Violin Brianne is the soul provider of Hemlok’s estrogen. Her great-grandfather played the violin, motivating her to follow in his footsteps. Brianne attended college for music with a concentration in Vocal Performance. She is influenced by (…well, is there anyone she is not influenced by?) : Bach, Sarah Vaughn, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Debussy, Duke Ellington, Sondheim, Dave Matthews Band, Alice in Chains, Sarah Brightman, Faure, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, and Toad the West Sprocket. Learn more about Hemlok’s band members or buy tickets to their show. guvna dub sessions Band: Guvna Dub Sessions Influenced by: Sly and Robbie & Cut Chemist Known for their instrumental remixes and audio effects, the Guvna Dub Sessions combine rock and reggae to produce a relaxing, although base bumping, sound. The group worked with renowned turntable artists Mr. Rourke and Axel Foley to produce their last Jamaican-inspired rock ‘n’ roll album. On 5/16 the Guvna Dub Sessions will be at Harpers Ferry in Boston to promote the release of their new CD full of bass and drum grooves. All of Guvna Dub Sessions’ songs are written and produced by group members Scott Palmer, Tommy Benedetti and Joshua Driscoll. Driscoll also mixes the group’s sounds right here in Boston. Band members include: Johnny Trama - Guitar Mike Keenan - Guitar Nate Richardson - Guitar Steve DiGregorio - Keyboards Chris Welter - Keyboards and Trumpet Alex Beram - Nyabingi Drum and Trombone Lee Hamilton - Saxophone Mister Rourke - Turntables Axel Foley - Turntables Buy Tickets to see Guvna Dub Sessions   the project Band: The Project Influences: Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, The Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Incubus The Project, a Boston-based band started in 2006, is a unique mix of pop, rock and jam. This group of young musicians strive to blend classic and contemporary. With their fun, improvisational personalities, these guys always put on high-energy live performances. Lead vocals and acoustic guitar are the roles of Andrew Furth. In his youth (like a year ago), Andrew was influenced by such greats as Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Beatles. Audience members note Andrew’s modern performance style and vigorous energy. Lead electric guitarist, Shane Becerra hails from New York, and is currently receiving his undergraduate degree from competitor state Massachusetts from the B trains destination, Boston College. The bands humorous biographical section on their website depicts Becerra in the light of a pageant contestant, highlighting his love of long walks on the beach and mai tais (better be 21 plus there bucko). Becerra is influenced by Incubus, Stevie Ray Vaughn and John Mayer. Bass guitarist, Phil Logan is a proud and true Masshole. He has a strong jazz background and is touted on the group’s site as being “sexy,” although I’ll be the judge of that! Drums of Adam Akpinar’s weapon of choice. At this point we don’t know much about Adam as he hasn’t published an autobiographical novel or film yet, nor has he written his personal biography on the group’s site. But don’t worry, the filler there currently states: “Adam is cool,” so I’m not worried. Interested in learning more about this band and getting tickets? Yea me too, so Adam, get writing! Listen to THE PROJECT at Myspace.com   greg mayo & the groove          Band: Greg Mayo & The Groove Sounds Like: Curtis Mayfield, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Roots Fully formed in 2004, the seven member Greg Mayo & The Groove puts a new twist on a classic sound with a mix of funk, jazz and soulful rock. The lead singer, Greg Mayo, owes his musical career to his mother, who made him join his elementary school band as a trombone player. Greg also learned to play the piano, drums and guitar at an early age. In addition to his mother, Greg’s father had a strong influence on his musical path as well because he was a musician himself. Today, Greg plays with Greg Mayo & The Groove and also runs his own music studio. From New Hampshire, the group’s guitar player and back-up vocalist, Erik White has just as many talents as Greg. Erik is a jack of all trades - juggling his time between music, film, theatre and his classes at the SUNY Purchase Jazz Masters Program. Bass player Chris Anderson also started early in the music field. Learning to play while in his teens, Chris has been performing since High School. Like Erik, Chris is studying in the SUNY Purchase Jazz program. From Connecticut comes Adam Christgau on drums. Chris spends his time dancing and playing for a number of bands including Greg Mayo & The Groove. Like his band mates, Adam received a Bachelors degree from SUNY Purchase in Jazz studies. Another Jazz studies graduate, John Liotta is the band’s alto and baritone sax player. John and Greg met in 2003 through the SUNY Purchase baseball team. Born in Denver, Kenny Warren has been playing trumpet since he was nine-years-old and also studied at SUNY Purchase. Lastly, tenor sax player Matt Abatelli majored in both sax and pre-med in college. Although his personal style is primarily Jazz, he loves keeping up with the band’s eclectic sound. Greg Mayo & The Groove has played throughout the US at numerous college campuses and night clubs with gigs opening for Amos Lee, Addison Groove Project and Busta Rhymes. Interested in hearing Greg Mayo & The Groove? Buy Tickets Today… Listen to GREG MAYO & THE GROOVE at Myspace.com