Lizard Lounge Club

The Blue Ribbons/Wishbone Zoe
2024-05-16 20:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
The Blue Ribbons return to the Lizard Lounge with Wishbone Zoe!

In the realm of human achievement, a lot of important, ridiculous, wonderful, and terrible things have happened on May 16.The Blue Ribbons at the Lizard Lounge THIS MAY 16 promises to be another one of those things. Maybe not as cool as lasers, magnetic tape, root beer, being the first woman to summit Mt. Everest, or rocket sleds in New Mexico, but stranger things have happened. One thing is certain, they will most definitely be a much better night out than the Cultural Revolution.
Speaking of wonderful human achievement, Wishbone Zoe will begin the evening’s festivities. An alchemist who can transform sonic space into adventurous, atmospheric, and extremely affecting songs.

Glenn Yoder and the Western States/Dan Blakeslee
2024-05-15 20:00 - 23:00
Glenn Yoder and the Western States return to the Lizard Lounge with Dan Blakeslee!

MUST BE 21+
$15/20 door

It’s been six years since we released the last Glenn Yoder & The Western States album. Suffice to say, much has happened.

Love, marriage, had a kid, pandemic, moved far away, settled in, had another kid, moved even farther away. Through it all, the unsettling sense that the world is on fire or on the verge of it, at least.

So I wrote about it, about this bizarre, transformative block of time — the overwhelming joy of love and children, of course, but also the anxieties and adjustments that come with those precious responsibilities, particularly in this climate. About giving up one version of ourselves in order to become another.

There were many moments when I sincerely doubted that this record would ever be completed, that I’d ever finish writing it or we’d ever get to recording it, but I also think that that additional time made this perhaps our most considered record to date. It’s a document of our conversations and hopes and concerns and feelings that I may have otherwise lost to time, so I’m glad that I have it at least. I hope you get something out of it too.

As always, my love and appreciation to my beloved band: Jeff, JMC, Chris, Brooks and our unofficial sixth member, Dave. I am so fortunate to have had them play and work on my songs for all these years. It was also important to me to have Cilla’s beautiful voice return for this album, and I am so happy we made it happen. This record really reflects my strongest musical bonds — put simply: it sounds like us.

Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy it!!

While attending art school in Baltimore Maryland in the early 90’s Dan Blakeslee, a Maine native discovered that he had an equal and deeply rooted connection to music. He would sneak into the galleries to play his guitar through the late hours of the evening surrounded by easels and oil paintings. After four years in “Charm City,” he returned to his childhood home in the Tatnic Woods of South Berwick, ME. That summer he played street corners in New Hampshire and Maine while working at a lobster restaurant. His employer urged him to sever ties to manual labor for one of a more musical nature. A phone call from a friend offering him a room in Somerville, MA began his journey south in 1995. While settling into this artful community he began to practice his craft in the smoke-laden subways of Boston. He now has been making music and art in the New England region ever since, leading him to tour the U.S. He has performed with Langhorne Slim, Josh Ritter, David Wax Museum, Lydia Loveless, The Lumineers, Deer Tick, The Low Anthem, Brown Bird, Sean Rowe, Jonah Tolchin, Old 97’s, Death Vessel, Kimya Dawson among others. In 2015 his dream of playing Newport Folk Festival became a reality, where Bob Dylan went electric 50 years earlier.
The hills and highways are made for wandering, this is forever rooted in Dan Blakeslee who performs an average of 160+ shows per year. In a gymnasium at Laconia Prison (NH) in 2005, a crowd of 150 inmates became hushed after hearing Blakeslee’s songs of hardship, hope, and true grit later released as a live album. In the late winter of 2006 brought him a string of 27 shows with Tiger Saw (Dylan Metrano, Alan Bull, Angel Deradoorian (Dirty Projectors)) to the southern US and straight up the Mississippi River igniting his passion to continue on this path for the years to come. In June of 2012 upon returning from the 120-mile journey by foot on the Massachusetts Walking Tour Blakeslee mapped out a tour of a different shape slated for the fall of that year. This venture spanned 7 states, with Blakeslee performing 31 shows in 25 days as his Halloween alter ego “Doctor Gasp” making a connect the dots Jack-O-Lantern face on a map of New England. 2013 brought him to Austin, TX in March for SXSW followed by a tour with his band “The Calabash Club” in late June of that year.
Blakeslee has released ten full-length albums to date. Two of them were recorded by long-time art school friend Ron Harrity (Peapod Recordings) the first “Lincoln Street Roughs” was recorded in a warehouse called The Map Room in Portland, Maine in 2007. The next was “Tatnic Tales” released on May 10, 2011. It is a collection of Blakeslee’s country folk songs most stemming from real life experiences. This album features his band The Calabash Club who formed in a Dover, NH basement in October of 2008. The members: Mike Effenberger – piano, Nick Phaneuf – bass, and Jim Rudolf – drums; are the essential ingredients in this acoustic folk outfit. “Tatnic Tales” was recorded in Dean Ludington’s barn in North Berwick, ME by the railroad as the friendship between the members of the band bloomed. “Tatnic Tales” is the first full-length album the band has recorded together to date. Blakeslee’s following album “Owed To The Tanglin’ Wind” was recorded at the Columbus Theatre in Providence, RI by Ben Knox Miller and Jeffrey Prystowsky (The Low Anthem). It was released on August 19th, 2014 with which Blakeslee did extensive touring in 2015. This album received “Album Of The Year” from Red Line Roots. Blakeslee was also awarded 2014 “Folk Artist Of The Year” at the Boston Music Awards, and “Male Performer of The Year” at the 2015 New England Music Awards. After a pause between full-band records his long awaited album “The Alley Walker” recorded by studio wizard Chris Chase (The Noise Floor) featuring his band The Calabash Club came out in 2017 to much acclaim. After touring the US a couple of times and much journeying it was time to get back in the studio. Blakeslee had been dreaming of making a full-length Christmas album for over a decade inspired by his retro music collection. So on a cold winter night in 2019 Blakeslee stepped into the studio for the first session of “Christmasland Jubilee”. This full-length album by Dan Blakeslee and the Calabash Club was revealed on December 1, 2020, and is their third release together.
https://danblakeslee.com/

Poetry Jam-Rohan Nijhawan
2024-05-12 19:00 - 22:30
Poetry Jam feartured poet Rohan Nijhawan

Rohan Nijhawan is a 33-year-old Cambridge born poet and activist. Born with a one of a kind unknown disease, Rohan has experienced the ups and downs in life. Although he has a disability, Rohan does not let that disability define him. He has been skydiving twice in California, mountain biking in Colorado, snorkeling in Jamaica and most recently, meeting His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. He is a self-described life of the party as many of his friends can attest to.Rohan gave his friends and family a challenge: describe his poetry in one word. Some of the words that came up were: revolutionary, smooth-truths, insightful and introspective. Rohan tells a powerful story through his poetry and activism. His biggest influence in his poetry, and, for that matter, his life is The Legend himself, Robert Nesta Marley.Rohan just published his first book titled Tick Tock Tempestuous: Poems of Love, Death, Angst & Humanity in the fall of 2023.

Andrea Gillis/Eric Salt and the Electric City
2024-05-11 21:00 - 2024-05-12 00:00
Andrea Gillis and Eric Salt and the Electric City at the Lizard Lounge!

EVENT IS 21+
$15/$20 door

“Hailing from South Boston, Andrea Gillis is the real deal – a Northeast legend of rock & soul…” “She has been blessed with the pipes of Etta James and with the boozy swagger of Jim Morrison.” – The Boston Globehttps://www.facebook.com/andreagillisband

Eric Salt is a Boston-based songwriter known for his jangly, eclectic rock sound and memorable, well-crafted tunes.

Salt has been a respected staple in the Boston rock scene since he helped found the legendary Abbey Lounge music scene in 1997. Salt has released three records with one of his bands, Eric Salt & The Electric City, all produced by award-winning producer Ed Valauskas at famed Q Division Studios in Somerville, MA. His debut LP “The Hail Mary,” was met with high praise, and “Please Say Yes,” his sophomore album , and a playful nod to one of his biggest influences, Billy Squier (“Don’t Say No”), helped earn him a place in the acclaimed 2016 Boston Rock & Roll Rumble in which he was a semi-finalist. https://www.ericsalt.com/bio

Lydia Luce with Special Guest Lake Saint Daniel
2024-05-10 21:00 - 2024-05-11 00:00
Lydia Luce live at the Lizard Lounge with special guest Lake Saint Daniel!

EVENT IS 21+$15/$18 door
On her new album Florida Girl, Lydia Luce offers up a body of work graced with all the transformative beauty of watercolor, at turns delicate, dreamlike, and instantly potent in its emotional realism. The second full-length from the Fort Lauderdale-born singer/songwriter, Florida Girl matches its luminous form of indie-folk with an in-depth examination of Luce’s inner life, exploring everything from mortality to body image to the ineffable intricacy of human connection. As she bares her soul and unburdens her heart, Luce slowly embraces her own infinite complexity—ultimately arriving at the self-possessed state of mind that inspired the album’s title.
For follow-up to her 2021 acclaimed debut Dark River, Luce joined forces with her longtime friends and bandmates Anthony da Costa (Joy Williams and Michaela Anne) and Aaron Steele (Joy Oladokun, Portugal. The Man) to deliver her most intuitively realized and imaginatively composed work to date.
Luce grew up in a strict musical household where her mother was a professional conductor and did not present learning the violin as a choice. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she briefly worked at world-music label Smithsonian Folkways Records, before relocating to Nashville and establishing herself as an in-demand session musician playing viola/violin for legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson and hip-hop superstar Eminem. Luce also founded Lockeland Strings—a community arts organization and showcase of local artists (which included country superstar Kacey Musgraves) accompanied by string quartet arrangements.
https://www.lydialuce.com/

Lake Saint Daniel is the project of artist/producer Daniel Radin (Future Teens). Growing up in Massachusetts, his dad would play James Taylor every night while making dinner and Daniel couldn’t stand it. However after years of making emo-influenced power pop with his band Future Teens, Daniel’s inherited love of gentle melodies began to peak through the cracks of his work. This eventually led to Good Things, Lake Saint Daniel’s debut, a record about nostalgia, sentimentality and reckoning with growing older.
Lake Saint Daniel

Goodwin/Melvern Taylor and His Fabulous Meltones
2024-05-09 20:00 - 23:00
Goodwin and Melvern Taylor and His Fabulous Meltones Live at the Lizard Lounge!

Come celebrate the release of Goodwin’s new single: “Needs”

Comprised of vocalist Emily Campagna, guitarist Jason Fletcher, vocalist and guitarist Michael E Goodwin and drummer Matt Lydon, Boston-based band Goodwin spills forth ebullient grooves that spark the imagination and inspire the body to move! At the Lizard Lounge, Goodwin will be joined by bassist Ethan Stewart and cellist Celia Sieckert. The band recorded their first album – “The Hunt” – in June of 2023 at Halo Studio in Windham, Maine with engineer and co-producer Jon Wyman and bassist Chris Sartori of Twisted Pine. Goodwin was also joined by pedal steel sensation Ben Lester of Bon Iver and S. Carey on “Tetons.” After releasing a handful of singles in the summer of 2023, “The Hunt” was released on vinyl and on all streaming platforms in October of 2023. The band recently emerged from the studio once again in the winter of 2024 with two new singles in hand, “New England Man” and “Needs.” Goodwin will be back at Halo Studio in June to record their second full-length album.

Come check them out and be part of what is becoming an integral and inspired feature of the contemporary sonic landscape!
https://www.goodwintunes.com/

A story teller and a constant music man, Melvern Taylor has an unhealthy obsession with penning tunes He described as; “happy songs about miserable people.”
Along with His Fabulous Meltones, Melvern and the boys entertain to the umph degree with a genre bending sound and style all their own. With His Uke in hand Melvern shares his stories through music and tells the jokes in a way that can only be labeled as unique. A modern day showman with a retro vibe – Melvern Taylor and His Fabulous Meltones is post-modern parlor music.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Melvern-Taylor-100052319903255/

Lizard Lounge Open Mic Challenge
2024-05-08 20:00 - 23:00
Lizard Lounge Open Mic Challenge hosted by Danny Moffat! Two performer slots will be held at the door.

EVENT IS 21+
Lizard Lounge Monthly Open Mic returns hosted by Dan Moffat with this month’s judges JJ Gonson and Josh Friedman!
Dan Moffat is a Cambridge based audio engineer and musician in the band The Collect Pond. You can usually find him teaching audio engineering lessons with Boston Audio School, which he teaches out of The Record Co., or writing and taking pictures for music blog Allston Pudding.

$8 performers/$10 audience
we will be holding two slots at the door
performers will be given a code for online purchase
sign up below!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44ABAF22A6FCCE9-48401728-wed?useFullSite=true#/

Poetry Jam-Jane Spokenword and Albey onBass present Word Jammin Live
2024-05-05 19:00 - 23:00
Jane Spokenword and Albey onBass Present Word Jammin’!

Event is 21+
Jane Spokenword and Albey onBass…present Word Jamin’ LiveThere is a space and place in time that connects us to a dimension that eclipses our fears…pure poetic soul.
4 poets 2 basses…no time limit…poets trading bars.
Albey ‘onBass’ Balgochian’s roots run the full spectrum of music genres, from the house bassist for the original “House of Blues” in Cambridge, MA., and a longtime member of Paul Rishell Band (2 time Handy Award winner) to the Cecil Taylor Trio & Big Band (All About Jazz Best of ’05, ’09, ’16.)
A poet of the street Jane ‘SpokenWord’ Grenier’s notable performances and collaborations include; Avant-Garde Maestro Cecil Taylor (AAJ best of 2016,) Nuyorican Poet Miguel Algarin, Beat poet/political activist John Sinclair, and HipHop musician/producer DJ Nastee.“Like those of the Jazz poets, the Beats, The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron and others Grenier’s poetry is accompanied by Albey’s moaning, groaning, and rumbling contrabass – adding double the gut-punch to her words.” Raoul Jazz daGama
ABOUT Word Jam’inWord Jam’in is a space where 4 featured poets trade bars and share their love of poetry and the spoken word. It is not a competition; it is an inspiration. It is not a slam, there are no time restrictions…no pressure. No list as to who comes next, when the spirit moves you…it’s your turn.

MC Kabir Sen with Krush Factory Monthly Residency
2024-05-04 21:00 - 2024-05-05 00:00, 2024-04-06 21:00 - 2024-04-07 00:00
MC Kabir Sen continues his monthly residency at the Lizard Lounge with the Krush Factory

Job Creators with Lady Lupine and Hall Monitor
2024-05-03 21:00 - 2024-05-04 00:00
Job Creators with Lady Lupine and Hall Monitor

MUST BE 21+
$15/$20 door

Lady Lupine is a Boston based heavy soul band that delivers high energy performances of unique original material. The band creates an engaging live experience by cultivating visceral connections through sound. Fronted by vocalist Christina Lacoste, Lady Lupine draws inspiration from the soul of Amy Winehouse, and the sonic eclecticism of Portishead. Traces of Vulfpeck’s tight, technical funk, and Jimi Hendrix’s fuzz rock grooves can be heard in the band’s sound as well. Christina, guitarist Fran McConville Jr, drummer Josh Cuadra and Bassist Jon Dusoe met in 2010 while performing in a band called The Elements. The four were drawn together by their compatibility as performers, and continued to play music on and off throughout the years.
In 2017, Lady Lupine was formed and began developing material that combines the respective members’ loves of classic soul and more modern, heavy rock. Jon and Josh provide a driving and edgy underlying layer that supports Christina and Fran’s soulful leads. Lady Lupine released their debut EP Trust in October 2019 followed by Extended Plays released in 2021.
Lady Lupine

Job Creators is a psychedelic math rock duo based out of Brooklyn/Boston. The dynamic pair consists of Blaise Lucey on bass guitar and audio samples and Tim Winslow on drums and synthesizer. For 10 years they have been plying their own high-energy improvisational take on music across the Northeast. Releasing their 2nd full LP, Love Monster, in October of 2023 has made big waves for the band. Venerable online music magazine Fecking Bahamas has said they are, “Embedding new-wave texture and groove with math rock, indie, and psychedelic prog, it’s a ship on a current all its own.” Catch Job Creators on tour throughout 2024.
https://jobcreatorsband.com/

Hall Monitor is sad sometimes. A one woman show lamenting the experiences of one’s 20s and 30s with the help of a solitary electric guitar. Introspective emo with a post-hardcore angle. All songs are flight tested to chase the tear-jerk response. Hall Monitor hopes to offer something to anyone going through something weird.
https://linktr.ee/hallmonitor

Dwayne Haggins/Gregg Perry and the Strange Berries
2024-05-02 20:00 - 2024-05-03 00:00
Dwayne Haggins returns to the Lizard with Gregg Perry and the Strange Berries!

EVENT IS 21+
$15/$18 door
He’s been described as “the love child of Otis Redding and Doc Watson.” “The John Legend of rockabilly.” And recently, “a ‘what-took-you-so-long’ fusion of Elvis and Marvin Gaye.” But he is Dwayne Haggins, and his voice is his own.
For Dwayne, every performance is a mission of discovery – of self and of song. Whether on the stage of a metropolitan concert hall or the makeshift bandstand of a neighborhood dive, you will find him exploring uncharted musical territories, listening for new ways to stir his influences into this night’s expression of his unique sound – strangely familiar, naturally mysterious, unmistakably his own.
Haggins, a Massachusetts native, cut his teeth playing locally and a chance encounter at an open mic led to an introduction that would seal his fate. Bruce Marshall, a local music legend formally of the Toy Caldwell Band, was so impressed with Haggins’ that he took the young musician under his wing, introducing him to a local promoter who in turn booked Haggins at higher profile venues.
https://verdictmusic.com/artists/dwayne-haggins/#:~:text=He’s%20been%20described%20as%20%E2%80%9Cthe,his%20voice%20is%20his%20own.

Gregg Perry, a Boston area musician, has been playing guitar since a teenager and has shared the stage with some legendary musicians over the years such as The Nighthawks, Bob Margolin, Jimmy Thackery and Canned Heat among others. Ranked 3rd best blues guitarist for 17 & 18 year olds from New England in 2001 Almost Famous Guitar Competition. Completed 6 semesters at Berklee School of Music. Formed The Strange Berries, a classic psychedelic rock and blues power trio in 2018, with Bob Abruzese on bass and Garik Bagdagyulyan on drums. has embraced these traditions while establishing a few of their own since first embarking on a career as a professional Musician in 2000. In the time that they have been in the music industry, Gregg Perry and The Strange Berries has managed to capture the hearts of fans all over the nation, and roll out some truly amazing tunes. Take a look around the site, and explore what the gift of music truly is.
https://www.strangeberries.com/

The Duppy Conquerors
2024-05-01 20:00 - 23:00
The Duppy Conquerors bring their celebration of the music of Bob Marley to the Lizard Lounge

EVENT IS 21+
$12/$15 DOOR
The quintessential Bob Marley tribute band – the Duppy Conquerors – is a rich collection of high-caliber musicians playing in tribute to the music of Bob Marley. Nominated for a Boston Music Award, this 10-piece ensemble of veteran musicians embodies a soulful authenticity that honors the artist and his timeless collection. With nearly 80% of Marley’s repertoire under their belts, the Duppy Conquerors are equipped to provide hours of entertainment and positive vibrations.
https://duppyconquerors.band/
https://www.instagram.com/duppy.conquerors/

Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam- Vernon C Robinson
2024-04-28 19:00 - 23:00
Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam with featured poet Vernon C Robinson

Event is 21+
VCR (Vernon C. Robinson) is a Dorchester native born and raised in Boston. He has been writing, reciting and performing poetry/spoken word for over 20 years and has performed at several local spots as a feature and participant. He has poetically graced the same stage and opened up for such acts as Dead Prez, S.O.S. Band, Amiri Baraka, The Last Poets, Les Nubians, Saul Williams, Jessica Care Moore, Michel’le and other well-known artists. Besides Massachusetts, he has taken his poetry at cities and states such as New York (including the famous Nuyorican Poets Café), Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Dallas, Cleveland, New Hampshire, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Denver and surprisingly Cuba in front of the legendary Assata Shakur.VCR is also the founder and cultural event organizer of BloodSkinLand Productions. From that umbrella, he has created many annual gatherings which includes Afro-Cinema, Young Gifted & Black and the popular ongoing gathering called VerBaLizAtiOn, which is currently the longest-running open mic spot in the Boston area of nearly two decades.VCR released his debut CD entitled “Poetic Insanity” in 2003. In 2011, he became one of many awardees of the NAACP Image Awards of the Boston chapter. In 2014, VCR was awarded the Ralph F. Browne Jr. Juneteenth Incentive Award by the Boston Juneteenth Committee and the National Center of Afro-American Artists for creating and sustaining VerBaLizAtiOn.Finally, his spoken word piece “Kangaroo Joy” is the official poem for Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s annual event “Jump Into Peace”. In addition to that, he has also performed at the Congresswoman’s cultural arts swearing-in fundraiser with a poem entitled “Change Can’t Wait” – named after the slogan used by Pressley during her campaign.In 2022, VCR released his long-awaited poetry book called “Obsoletes & Upgrades”.

Old Jack Presents: The songs that made Dave sing- a celebration.
2024-04-27 19:00 - 23:00
Old Jack Presents a celebration of the life and music of David Mirabella with help from The Rationales and Friends and Other Brother Daryl.

When we gather to celebrate the Songs and Sounds that made Dave sing, that’s how long it will have been since he left us. So, we thought it fitting we should get together and play some songs. We thought it more fitting that we should make it a benefit with all proceeds going to Xander. We thought Dave would like this. We will also have some special merch available for purchase to commemorate the show.

Members of the Rationales are dusting off the cobwebs to bring forth some of their hits and loved songs. With friends, and most fittingly Mikey, taking on the roll of singing Daves wonderful words. This set will be one to remember and we can say from the practices both emotional and therapeutic. Be ready to sing along.

Express Checkout feat Steve Neary with Union Rail and Shilo
2024-04-26 21:00 - 2024-04-27 00:00
Express Checkout featuring Steve Neary with Union Rail and Shilo

MUST BE 21+

Express checkout is a 3 piece pub rock n roll band comprised of singer-songwriter Dave Wells, the multi-styling Dylan Sullivan on Bass, and the percussive scene veteran Dave Sardella on the kit. Expect a wave of a set which dips down to slower sentimental songs and crashes with sing-a-long sweaty rock hooks.

Express Checkout

Since 2011, Union Rail has created a sound mixing country, bluegrass and other Americana traditional music blended with their original rootsy edge. These Connecticut natives have taken their music around the Nation and continue to create and record while always delivering an exciting and crowd involved live show.

https://www.facebook.com/unionrailband/

Christopher Paul Stelling with Special Guest Youth in a Roman Field
2024-04-25 20:00 - 23:00
Christopher Paul Stelling returns to the Lizard Lounge with Youth in a Roman Field!

Even before 2020 slid historically off the rails, Christopher Paul Stelling confronted an essential exercise in acceptance and gratitude. In December 2019, Stelling started another cross-country sprint from California to Florida, where the songwriter who has long called western North Carolina home was raised. Aside from recording his fifth album, Best of Luck, he had toured much of that year, making relentless laps around North America. He wanted to make it home not only for Christmas but also to see Emma, his 92-year-old grandmother. He didn’t; she passed just days before he arrived. Recorded alone in her modest white ranch house in Daytona Beach, Forgiving It All—Stelling’s wisest, most intimate, and most settled record yet, and his first self-released LP in eight years—feels like a final tribute to her and to everything he and we have lost or gained.

Last year seemed to brim with transformational potential for Stelling. For the better part of a decade, he had been a feverish and itinerant troubadour, spilling guts and blood and sweat in soul-scraping solo sets. He’d lived up the lifestyle, too, hydrating for the stage with booze. But at the end of 2017, he’d gone sober after recognizing that chunks of his life had disappeared. Recorded a year later, Best of Luck—his third album for Anti- and the first he’d cut with a producer, Ben Harper—seemed poised to push him to new audiences, its mix of wistful acoustic ballads and stomp-around-the-room rock somehow both polished and primal. The shows were piling up, so much so that Stelling planned to have barely one day off in all of 2020.

And then, of course, all that was scrapped. The news closed in around him as he toured north along the West Coast. He turned east and got as far as Colorado, then had a panic attack in a Kansas truck stop, wrestling with existential and professional despair as the world wobbled on its axis. Stelling came home and, like many of us, worked to shape a new routine in a world that was instantly alien. So for the first time in years, he spent days on end with his partner, Julia, and their bounding young dog, Ida. He hiked, read, and watched endless television to placate overwhelming anxiety as best he could. Having fulfilled his label contract (and convinced he didn’t want a new one, anyway), Stelling launched a crowdfunding campaign, asking if fans felt compelled to invest in his songs. They said yes—he sold more records in those first 48 hours than he’d ever sold in advance before.

Stelling began at last to unpack a decade into which he had packed so much. What had music taught him that life had not, and vice versa? What did he have to sing about all that he had seen? The spellbinding 10 tracks of Forgiving It All represent the profound distillates of that reflection. Committed to tape in Emma’s home a year after Stelling cut his intended never-ending tour short, these songs are the lessons of a once-wild kid looking at (not quite) 40, expressing acceptance for the struggles and joys of life and singing out his gratitude for still being here. Opener “Die To Know” is a tender ode to innocence, a remembrance of simple joy and sincerity before experience and age dulled our enthusiasms. “Wildfire,” which moves with the ineffable grace of ripples on some idyllic pond, stares down accreted adult fears and begs for the mercy of rebirth.

“WWYLLYD” presents an exercise in radical empathy, apt for our universally troubled times. “Remember, everyone is suffering/not just you,” Stelling pleas over strummed chords that rush like blood. The title is an acronym for “When What You Love Lets You Down.” We’re all starving artists, it suggests, but that’s what keeps us going, interested, and, if we’re lucky, alive.

To some extent, these songs are about letting yourself off the hook, about accepting your imperfections even as you deal with them. But title track “Forgiving It All,” as mesmerizing and motivational as a religious mantra, admits that we don’t bear responsibility for all of our baggage, that others have played a part. If we’re going to reckon with ourselves, Stelling says, we have to encourage others to do the same, to share in this catharsis. “Let the doubtful confide in you,” he sings near the start, opening what may feel like the most candid therapy session you’ve ever encountered. Stelling—truth be told, a marquee fingerpicker who’s never been content to make purely wordless music—pauses for the gorgeous instrumental “For Your Drive,” then ends with a hymn of his own, “They’ll All Proclaim.” It is a gracious, gorgeous aubade for what comes after—tomorrow, post-pandemic, whenever.

We will wrestle for our lifetimes with what happened in 2020 and what may follow. Forgiving It All is an instinctual and honest response to trying to make the best of it: sorting through the past and using the present to prepare for an unwritten future. These songs remind us we’re lucky to be here, no matter what or who it is we have to forgive.
$20/25at the door

Youth in a Roman Field is the surrealist folk project of artist, teacher, and activist Claire Wellin. The band’s progressive sound (described as a combination of ‘Appalachia, cayenne pepper, and ghosts’ and ‘like Radiohead but also folk music’) is reflected in their inventive recordings and endearing live performances. Weaving string loops with soaring violin melodies and dynamic vocals, Claire’s solo show is part singer-songwriter, part one-woman orchestra, offering an intimate translation of their unique songs. Their latest album, ‘Get Caught Trying,’ was released November 2023 via Better Company Records and explores self-worth, power, loss of faith, care, and collective healing.

https://www.youthinaromanfield.com/

Four Piece Suit/Fran McConville Trio with special guest Christina Lacoste
2024-04-24 20:00 - 2024-04-25 00:00
Four Piece Suit, Fran McConville and Christina Lacoste converge for a show at the Lizard Lounge!

Four Piece Suit is “a highball of sea-foam-soaked guitar and squalling tenor sax, shaken—not stirred—with surf tangos, Battista-era mambos, beach blanket boppers, spy music, crime jazz, and movie themes.” The predominantly instrumental group brings humor, romance and a pulsing rhythm to the category-defying range musical styles they reinvent. Heard on soundtracks for Sex and the City and Dexter, Four Piece Suit puts on a sizzling live show.
The band is: Milt Reder on guitar, John Aruda on sax, Dean Cassell on bass and Seth Pappas on drums. For more on 4PS, please visit www.fourpiecesuit.com. Truly beyond category, their eclectic instrumental, sometimes jazz, sometimes rock style, brings forth a unique blend of long forgotten musical influences and often suggests a certain film noir feeling.
The sexy, sophisticated, yet tongue-in-cheek music of FOUR PIECE SUIT is frequently featured on the highly acclaimed HBO series Sex and the City, Telemundo, NBC’s Ed, Dexter on CBS, and cable shows such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians, America’s Top Model, Run’s House, and many others. Film work includes Our Lips are Sealed (Olsen Twins), In the Weeds (Molly Ringwald), Stag (HBO films), Psycho Beach Party, Along Came Polly (Jennifer Aniston), and others.
The band has also been heard in many independent films, including Sundance Festival Winner Blue Vinyl. They have also done a full score for an HBO claymation film, Real Men Wear Hawaiian Shirts, an award winner at the San Francisco Film Festival.
Like many of the greatest bands, only at a live show can one really “get” what FOUR PIECE SUIT is all about…
https://fourpiecesuitband.com

The Fran McConville Trio plays an eclectic, cosmic blend of instrumental rock, groove & reggae music. We like to get weird and play in odd time signatures, go to outer space, and come back again. Members of the FMT have played with Lions At The Gate, Lady Lupine, Ethan Rossiter Band, Sonya Rae Taylor, and others!

Some artists that have had a big influence are The Beatles, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, John Scofield, Jeff Beck, Jerry Garcia, Bela Fleck, & MMW.

Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam Slam Team Final
2024-04-21 19:00 - 23:00
Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam Slam Team Final

Event is 21+
2024 Slam Team Final
This is the culmination of our yearly “slam-off” to select the 2024 Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam Slam Team. The eight finalists (the top four finishers from each of our two previous semi-final slams) competing in tonight’s slam are Art, Brother D., Christopher, Kayla, Kwene, Mahesh, Silent E., and Will C.The slam team will represent Lizard Lounge at local and regional events throughout the year.This event, featuring the best of the best, often sells out -reserve your spot now!

Dub Apocalypse
2024-04-20 21:00 - 2024-04-21 00:00
Dub Apocolypse returns to the Lizard Lounge!

Dub Apocalypse is an instrumental dub reggae band from Boston, MA. Band members are Tommy Benedetti-drums,Van Martin-guitar,Johnny Trama-guitar,Aaron Bellamy-bass,and Timo Shanko-sax/bass. The band came together in 2007, led by drummer Tommy Benedetti and guitarist, Johnny Trama.Tommy Benedetti is one of the founding members of American Reggae Pioneers,John Brown’s Body. He brings a wealth of experience from the reggae/dub scene to the table,having recorded albums for the legendary Shanachie Label,John Zorn’s Tzadik Label (mixed by Bill Laswell),and is currently with John Brown’s Body on Easy Star Records. This history is combined with almost 2 decades of International touring,as well as backing some of the giants of Jamaican music,including The Meditations and Justin Hinds.
Guitarist Johnny Trama adds a soulful blues touch to the Dub Apocalypse signature sound.Trama has spent time on the road with the great Ron Levy, BB King’s organ player, as well as many other regional rock and soul/r&b acts. Not long after Dub Apocalypse came together, longtime friend Timo Shanko entered the fold.A dual threat on both bass and saxophone,Shanko is a veteran of the blues and free jazz scene.He spent many years on the road with Blues legend, Eddie Kirkland, as well as with G. Love and Special Sauce. Shanko is also a prolific composer,and his improvisational stylings are an integral part of the Dub Apocalypse sound. Although DA started out as more of a collective,in the past few years the lineup has solidified with the addition of bassist Aaron Bellamy and guitarist Van Martin. Bellamy is a longtime fixture in the Boston funk scene,and in combination with Benedetti ,they form the deep,militant sound at the core of Dub Apocalypse.
Originally hailing from Chicago,Van Martin rounds out the lineup on guitar. Martin has much touring experience as well, including appearances with Bernie Worrell and Big Daddy Kane. His sonic textures,adventurous playing and songwriting have helped Dub Apocalypse take their sound to a new level. The DA sound is an evolving mix of original compositions and their own interpretations of classic Jamaican and UK songs and dub plates. Heavy hitting drum and bass grooves set the table. A twin guitar attack, with Trama’s rhythmic anchor,and Martin’s dub sonics, swirl in and out in tandem. These pieces, combined with Timo Shanko’s Coltrane inspired sax approach, give Dub Apocalypse a

The Collect Pond/Perennial/Battlemode
2024-04-19 21:00 - 2024-04-20 00:00
The Collect Pond and Perennial get together to rock the Lizard Lounge

The Collect Pond is a Boston group led by Bellingham, Washington native Danny Moffat. Underwater Features is the second Collect Pond album, but the first Moffat has made with a full-time band (bassist/keyboardist Roger Maranan, drummer Rob Carrington, and guitarist/bassist Ben Bonadies). Moffat is a clear aficionado of underground and lo-fi indie rock of many eras: 2023 album Underwater Features is clearly influenced by 90s indie underdog popsters like Guided by Voices and Sebadoh (putting them in line with modern groups like Connections, Mythical Motors, and Smug Brothers), while also retaining a post-punk edge in places and a haziness evoking a few Flying Nun and Xpressway groups. – Rosy Overdrive, 2023
https://candlepinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/underwater-features

Perennial is an art punk three-piece from New England.
The band’s sound – built from the sharp minimalism of electric organ, guitar & drums – is a kinetic collage of mod pop, 90s post-hardcore, post-bop jazz, 60s soul, and British Invasion garage rock. Their live sets are quick, angular, and ferocious: 20 minute bursts of wild energy.

Kotoko Brass with Special Guest Boubacar Diabate
2024-04-18 20:00 - 23:00
Kotoko Brass brings the party back to the Lizard Lounge with Boubacar Diabate!

EVENT IS 21+
$18/22

Kotoko Brass melds the beautifully complex traditional drumming of Central Ghana, the sturdy bass and keyboards of the Caribbean, and the joyous horns of New Orleans to forge a sound the Boston Globe has described as “propulsive, infectious party music.” The band began when brothers Ben, a performer, scholar, and educator of Ghanaian drumming, and Brian Paulding, a longtime trombone player in Boston’s reggae scene, joined forces. Ben fortified the percussion section with Attah Poku and Kwame Ofori, two master percussionists from Ghana. The rhythm section of M’talewa Thomas (bass), Dillon Zahner (guitar), Yusaku Yoshimura (keyboards), and saxophonist Andy Bergman, fill out veteran rhythm and horn sections.

Coming together as Kotoko Brass feels like a superpower. When the traditional Ghanaian percussion and driving drum set grooves meet the steady rhythm section and jubilant horn melodies, we can’t help but dance. Now, after over a year of sharing our sound and energy with audiences across New England, we have seen just how infectious this energy is.

While each member plays an equal and vital role in Kotoko Brass, the drums are at the heart of the band. The tradition of Asante drumming is intimately intertwined with dance in West Africa, and our audiences experience that first-hand. That instinctual link between drumming and dancing exists in nearly all indigenous traditions, and it informs the harmony and melody in all of our music.

At its core, our music is a celebration of tradition, diversity, and unity. While our compositions are influenced by and emerge from the rich culture and heritage of the Asante Kingdom of central Ghana, they are brought to life by a group that spans age, ethnicity, and nationality. The wealth of our varied musical experience serves not only as an endless well of inspiration, but as a vital opportunity to broaden the depths of our communication as humans.Kotoko Brass

Griot singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter and storyteller Boubacar Diabate from Bamako, Mali comes from the Mande lineage and has combined traditional rhythms with modern influences to create his own style of contemporary Malian Griot music presenting his own compositions and arrangements. Singing in Bambara and Manding, Boubacar Diabate creates a performance that spans the full spectrum of Traditional to Contemporary Malian music from West Africa combined with Blues, Jazz, Reggae and Bluegrass – Bouba sings of our common shared experience of love, life and humanity, giving all an opportunity to hear the age-old West African tradition of Griot storytelling through song.

Lizard Lounge Open Mic Challenge
2024-04-17 - 2024-04-18
Lizard Lounge Open Mic Challenge, April edition, Sign up link will be posted two weeks before open mic date.

Poetry Jam Slam Team Semifinal #2
2024-04-14 19:00 - 23:00
Poetry Jam Slam Team Final#2

Event is 21+

2024 Slam Team Semifinal #2 Our second semi-final slam for the 2024 Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam Slam Team will feature eight extraordinary poets: Art, Brother D, Lindsey, Mahesh, Meghan, Navah, Toni, & Will C.These slams are super-popular and always showcase phenomenal spoken word talent.The top four poets from tonight and the top four from the first semifinal will move on to the finals on 4/21/24.

Muddy Ruckus/Fancy Trash w special guest Barry Rothman
2024-04-13 21:00 - 2024-04-14 00:00
Muddy Ruckus and Fancy Trash share the stage at the Lizard Lounge with special guest Barry Rothman on the turntables.

EVENT IS 21+
$15/$20 door
Muddy Ruckus is a “darkly inventive” rock duo according to the New York Music Daily. Guitarist Ryan Flaherty and drummer Erika Stahl of Portland, Maine play a grungy style of railroad indie punk blues. This stripped-down power-duo blends rootsy guitar and edgy percussion on a suitcase drum kit, and is known for a full rock band sound.
https://www.muddyruckus.com/

Fancy Trash, an indie folk band, has been at the forefront of the thriving music scene in Northampton, Massachusetts for over two decades. The band is driven by singer and songwriter Dave Houghton’s dynamic blend of folk and indie rock influences, characterized by his soulful vocals and expressive guitar work, which have earned them critical acclaim and a devoted following. The band released The Pushkin Sessions in November 2023 — a collection of 15 songs recorded live-in-the-studio in 2007 and lost in a storage bin for 16 years. Since their formation in 2002, Fancy Trash has toured extensively and shared the stage with notable acts such as The Jayhawks, Deer Tick, DeVotchKa, Langhorne Slim, and Jesse Malin. However, it’s the band’s electrifying live shows and raw, emotional songwriting that make them stand out in a crowded indie scene. With a dedicated fanbase and a reputation for delivering unforgettable live shows, Fancy Trash continues to push the boundaries of what folk music can be with their unique sound and performances. Learn more atwww.fancytrash.com

The Gravel Project featuring Jen Kearney with The Freight
2024-04-12 21:00 - 2024-04-13 00:00
The Gravel Project returns to the Lizard Lounge with special guests The Freight

M UST BE 21+
$15/20 door

Originally created by Andrew Gravel (vocals, guitar), The Gravel Project is an all star band of Boston music veterans including brother, Jordan Gravel (organ, keys), Dave Fox (drums), and Eguie Castrillo (percussion). The Gravel Project’s live show blends rock, world music and jazz with power and soul. Carrying the tradition of 70’s blues and psychedelic rock music, The Gravel Project embodies the spirit of Santana combined with the classic raw energy and moving songwriting of The Allman Brothers and Tedeschi Trucks Band. With three studio albums, a live album and countless past performances, the future is bright for Boston’s The Gravel Project, and as the title of their 2022 studio album suggests, there are “Many Miles Ahead.”
The Gravel Project

The Freight are an upbeat fusion of Rock N’ Roll, Blues Rock, Soul and Jam mixed with a contemporary Modern Rock edge. The Freight embrace every avenue of Rock. From classic vintage sounds that started it all to 80’s and 90’s rock revolutions. Hailing from Boston Ma, their influences include a wide variety of artists including; The Stones, Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Cars, The Police, White Denim, The Black Keys and Gov’t Mule to name a few.
https://www.thefreightband.com/

The Hi-Jivers/Troy Mercy
2024-04-11 20:00 - 23:00
The Hi-Jivers from Nashville blast the Lizard stage with Troy Mercy!

EVENT IS 21+$18/23
The Hi-Jivers are a 4 piece Rock n’ Roll/ Rhythm and Blues band that play music inspired by the 50’s and 60’s but modernize with their passionate and wild originals. The vocalist, Dawna Zahn is a powerhouse soulful singer who has the dynamic ability to resurrect her favorite blues artists like Howlin’ Wolf and Big Mama Thornton with ease. She is accompanied by her husband, Austin John whose guitar arsenal has the maturity of a well seasoned blues guitarist, but with the sting of an explosive rock n’ roller. They’ve already had the pleasure of performing all over the world including many cities in the U.S. and many countries in Europe.
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The band won an Ameripolitan Music Award in 2023 and have been featured in Vintage Guitar Magazine, Vintage Rock Magazine and Blue Suede News magazine. They’ve been compared to modern artists such as JD Mcpherson, Nikki Hill, GA-20, Imelda May, Delta Bombers, Big Sandy & Fly-Rite Boys etc.
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Austin John & Dawna Zahn moved to Nashville from Central New York in September 2014 with one intention: toform a band inspired by their favorite Rhythm & Blues and Rock N’ Roll artists of the 1950s and 1960s. By the beginning of 2015, they met upright bass player Hank Miles and drummer Aaron Mlasko who had recently moved to Nashville from Seattle, WA. The group bonded over their love of American roots icons such as Wynonie Harris, Big Mama Thornton, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Richard, and Etta James.
https://www.thehijivers.com/

*Gasp* Just two pieces?
Yes. It’s simple. But simple is not easy, folks.

Beware… The powerful soundwaves these two conjure up during one of their energetic live shows bend the very laws of physics. Truly larger than the sum of its parts…

Troy Mercy is a genuine guitar-star; highly respected by his peers such as Kirk Fletcher and GA-20. He also has the rare gift of a soaring & soulful voice that would feel right at home in the grooves of an Atlantic or Stax R&B 45. Troy’s brand of blues places the song at center stage. His use of artful tune construction, hooks & melody extend the tradition of the genre.

Mr. Mercy’s resume as a guitarist includes Booker T., The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and countless blues legends such as Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, and Hubert Sumlin. He has toured this Earth and played on two Grammy nominated albums.

“Troy pushes the boundaries of blues with a fearless approach to composition and performance…
With Troy’s stunning vocal delivery at its peak the atmospheric and engaging duo brings an incredible amount of flavor and texture that must be witnessed in person.” -MeetBoston.com

Bridget Kearney with Special Guests Deerlady
2024-04-10 20:00 - 23:30
Come see Bridget Kearney and Deerlady live in concert, it’s gonna be a night to remember!

Empires rise and fall every day in the human heart, and riding these cycles — — stories with no beginning or end, only transformation — — churns us through the reckless, ridiculous, rueful, redemptive.
A founding member of Lake Street Dive and writer of some of their most enduring songs, Iowa-born and Brooklyn-based Bridget Kearney is known for writing smart, unexpected lyrics and melodies built for a heart-baring dance or an introspective drive. Kearney writes music as if filtered through a camera lens. Her stories, steeped in nostalgia and joy, construct a bittersweet framework around the memories that make us human, and shape who we are. As the absurdity of life abounds, Kearney can hold these fragile snapshots and rolling reruns with evident notes of levity, and compassion for a past self. On her new album Comeback Kid, produced by Dan Molad (Lucius, Buck Meek), there are reminders to cherish the moments that make up the collage of what we see in the mirror, but to also plant our feet firmly in the present, for those are the times that will come to form the future.
The tracks hop through time, from the relentless, obsessive romanticization of the past, to unrestrained lust for a different future, all inherit the spirit of resilience needed for any move forward, whether it’s to dive back in, walk away, or wrestle with the memory itself. In moments, our Comeback Kid wishes to encase a night in amber to revive it at will, like the old man in Jurassic Park, but ultimately is hip to the bittersweet truth that it will never be the same when you return.
Kearney began making Comeback Kid back in 2021, in between her work with Lake Street Dive, and a new position as a songwriting teacher at Princeton University. During the process of Comeback Kid, Kearney took inspiration from her Princeton students, as well as her peers when she embarked on a song-a-day workshop. As she found herself surrounded by the thoughts and processes of others, she was able to pinpoint what it is about songwriting that she truly cherishes: namely, the textures and flourishes that come to form the mood of each creation.
Comeback Kid is soaked in vintage synths, Kearney’s soughing vocals and delicate-yet-driving percussion that ushers in a bright and serene tenor. “If you’re driving, baby I wanna go,” she soothes on opener “If You’re Driving,” welcoming us to the LP with windows down, eyes closed, air rushing through our fingers. It’s a celebration of staying in the moment, of saying “yes,” even though you know it won’t last forever.
With references to real psychological games, like Rorschach tests and the phenomenon of Ironic Process Theory, they help build the theme of the mind-bending nature of obsession, memory, and perspective. Just like the acrobatic brain games we play in relationships, Kearney plays with language and references, with multiple meanings of “comebacks and coming back,” and nods that run the gamut from Samuel Barber’s mid-20th century masterpiece Adagio for Strings to Jerry Seinfeld’s late-20th century masterpiece Seinfeld.
The single “Security Camera” captures the carefree liminal space of reminiscence, as Kearney collects those significant, special moments of a past love. There is no animosity or even sorrow here but rather a warm, propulsive rush of gratitude and awe. “You have these really wonderful, blissful times in your life that are fleeting,” she explains. “It’s an attempt to keep loving the moments in your past, to carry them with you.” These moments are carried with care throughout Comeback Kid, but with an eye on the farcicality of simply existing. Kearney is both sincere and silly, somber yet spirited, expertly gathering the iridescent spectrum of what it means to be alive.

https://www.bridgetkearney.com/

The punk rock attitude will save you. Mali Obomsawin and Magdalena Abrego are two improvising artists equally comfortable in free jazz and indie rock, bonded in the language of experimentation. Their upcoming duo album Greatest Hits is a journey through songs penned by Obomsawin that explore decay and delicate moments – cradled by Abrego’s worldbuilding and evocative guitar playing.
Mali Obomsawin is a bassist, singer, and composer from Odanak First Nation and one of GRAMMY.com’s top ten emerging jazz artists to watch this year. Her debut album Sweet Tooth (Out of Your Head Records, 2022) garnered international acclaim and was named in ‘best of the year’ lists from The Guardian, NPR, and JazzTimes upon its release. Evocative and thunderous, Sweet Tooth delivers a gripping and dynamic performance, seamlessly melding chorale-like spirituals, folk melodies, and post-Albert Ayler free jazz. Obomsawin’s ensemble occupies a musical universe completely their own, bringing skronk and reverence to every stage.
Magdalena Abrego is a New York-based guitarist, composer, and teaching artist. Utilizing the languages of free jazz and experimental rock, Magdalena’s music confronts issues of musical tradition through genre-bending improvisation. Magdalena presently serves as a faculty member in the Contemporary Musical Arts program at the New England Conservatory. Her expertise has garnered invitations to deliver guest lectures and provide guidance to ensembles at esteemed music institutions throughout the Northeast, including Berklee College of Music and Dartmouth College.
https://www.instagram.com/deerladyband/

Poetry Jam Slam Team Semifinal #1
2024-04-07 19:00 - 23:00
Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam Slam Team Semifinal #1

Event is 21+
2024 Slam Team Semifinal #1
Our first of two semi-final slams for the 2024 Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam Slam Team features eight wonderful poets: Ben, Brittany, Christopher, Finn, Kayla, Kwene, Mike, & Silent E.
These slams are always well-attended and showcase the extraordinary spoken word talent we are so lucky to have at Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam.
The top four poets from tonight and the top four from the second semifinal will move on to the finals on 4/21/24.

The 5th Wheel
2024-04-05 21:00 - 2024-04-06 00:00
The A-Beez team up with Ryan and Sonya Rae Taylor and Pete MacLean to become the 5th Wheel at the Lizard Lounge

The A-Beez is Boston based music collective with its roots in soul, funk, and R&B. At its core are keyboardist Amy Bellamy and bassist Aaron Bellamy. The two began their musical collaboration in the early 2000’s as members of the Sam Kininger band (BMG Japan recording artists). This relationship would blossom, as they would go on to work as sidemen and studio/session musicians, backing up numerous artists including Chaka Khan, Terri Lyne Carrington, G Love and the Juice, Res, Nth Power, Club D’elf, Martin Luther, Cody Chesnutt and more.

In addition to touring nationally and internationally, Amy and Aaron are staples of the local Boston scene, hosting a long-standing (over 16 years and still running) residency at Boston’s renowned Wally’s Café and performing in clubs and venues throughout New England and the East coast. In the years to come they would co-write and compile a catalog of original material that would eventually culminate in the release of their debut album “Never Going Back” which was released in April 2015. They released their second studio album “Say Goodbye” in March of 2018. Their 3rd studio album release “Reclamation” is set to debut in November of 2021.

Though it can be loosely classified as “soul” The A-Beez have an eclectic and original sound which draws from the traditions of funk and R&B, and is heavily influenced by jazz as well as hip hop. You may detect hints of rock, country, and even classical if you listen closely. The lyrics are deeply personal and honest, the music grooves while remaining melodically elegant and full of subtle complexity. The production is pure and simple without the gloss and fakeness all too prevalent these days.

The A-Beez

Boston-born Sonya Rae Taylor is not only a tour de force on the blues-rock and soul/funk stage but a true musician’s musician. With her roots firmly planted in the rich musical landscapes of Austin and Nashville, she’s woven rare a tapestry of experience. This rising star seamlessly marries her soaring vocals, electrifying guitar prowess, and astute songwriting, creating a blend that has earned her comparisons to the likes of Warren Haynes, Bonnie Raitt, and Amy Winehouse.
While Sonya’s radiant onstage presence draws immediate attention, her credentials behind the scenes are equally commendable. She has shared her guitar mastery as a side player for renowned artists and, during her tenure in Nashville, honed her craft as a staff writer for Sony BMG Chrysalis.
Always surrounded by a stellar ensemble, including the remarkable guitarist Ryan Taylor (husband), Sonya and her band are becoming are building a reputation up and down the east coast. At the heart of Sonya’s artistry lies the rare combination of being a master musician and a uniquely gifted songwriter.
https://www.sonyaraetaylor.com/
