2008 Twilight Concert Series Lineup
July 10 The Roots | The Knux
The Roots
The Roots, a.k.a. The Legendary Roots Crew, are an influential American band from Philadelphia, famed for their eclectic live instrumentation style of hip hop. Since their major label debut in 1995 they have collaborated with artists from a range of genres, including Roy Ayers, Common and Cody Chesnutt. Inspired by the Stetsasonic’s “hip hop band” philosophy, the Roots have garnered critical acclaim and their live shows are among the best in the business. Artist Website
The Knux
The Knux, brothers Krispy Kream and Rah Al Millio are clever alternative rap artists from New Orleans. The musically schooled brothers created a national stir in late 2007 as the opening act for Common on his Finding Forever tour. "Cappuccino" was the first Knux song officially released by Interscope and aired in an episode of the HBO show Entourage; a video for the song was subsequently filmed. Their debut album, “Remind You in 3 Days” is scheduled for release later this year. Artist Website
July 17 Andrew Bird | Josh Ritter
Andrew Bird
Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire by ear, and then expanded his listening repertoire to Hungarian Gypsy music, early jazz, country blues, south Indian and more. This eclectic background underlies his current performances: playing the violin in a most unconventional manner, accompanying himself on glockenspiel and guitar, adding singing and whistling to the equation, and becoming a songwriter in the process. Artist Website
Josh Ritter
Singer/songwriter Josh Ritter, who leans toward the folk genre, was born in Idaho, and generates loyal fans and critically positive reviews. Ritter bought his first guitar after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic "Girl from the North Country." While attending college in Oberlin, OH, Ritter first heard the music of Leonard Cohen and Gillian Welch. He fell in love with the songs and made a giant leap from his neuroscience major to the wholehearted pursuit of music. Artist Website
July 24 De La Soul | The Cool Kids
De La Soul
De La Soul is a Grammy Award-winning hip hop group from Amityville, New York. Best known for their eclectic sampling and quirky, surreal lyrics, they have made great contributions to the evolution of the jazz/rap subgenre. At the time of its 1989 release, De La Soul's debut album, “3 Feet High and Rising”, was hailed as the future of hip hop. With its colorful, neo-psychedelic collage of samples and styles, plus the Long Island trio's low-key, clever rhymes and goofy humor, their music established a distinct and respected tradition in the hip hop world. Artist Website
The Cool Kids
Part of the mid-2000s hip-hop movement, the Cool Kids are both an internet and live show phenomenon. The duo of Mickey Rocks and Chuck Inglish met in 2005 after Mickey came across some of Chuck's beats online and liked what he heard. In 2007, based on their material posted on their MySpace site, the group caught the attention of Pitchfork, who later invited them to play at their summer festival. This led to an opening spot on M.I.A.'s solo tour and their debut EP, “The Bake Sale,” which was released in January 2008. Artist Website
July 31 Yonder Mountain String Band | Keller Williams
Yonder Mountain String Band
Colorado’s Yonder Mountain String Band, is known for its high-energy, improvisational live shows with a sound based on bluegrass blended with rock. In 1998, a mutual love for bluegrass quite unexpectedly brought the four players together during a free-for-all jam session at The Verve, a bar outside of Boulder. Blending bluegrass and rock with traditional instrumentation (guitar, bass, mandolin and banjo), Yonder Mountain has pioneered their own distinctive sound. Artist Website
Keller Williams
Known for his astonishing one-man show, Keller Williams surrounds himself with instruments and pedals sliding from one to the next. He first began experimenting in the 1990s, playing with cover bands in high school and college. Keller has worked with such musical greats as Bob Weir, Béla Fleck, John Scofield, Charlie Hunter, Victor Wooten, The String Cheese Incident and many others. While his tunes are rooted in a warm voice and spirited acoustic guitar, Keller gives them depth and breadth with his one-of-a-kind mix of multiple instruments and electronic devices. Artist Website
August 7 Nada Surf | Tim Fite
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is enjoying its second life with its new release, “Lucky.” Described as alt-rock or indie rock, Nada Surf builds its audiences with a lot of touring and grassroots support for their lyric-rich music. Like the songs that singer guitarist Matthew Caws, bassist Daniel Lorca and drummer Ira Elliot crafted for their previous two albums, “Let Go” in 2003, and “The Weight Is A Gift” in 2005, “Lucky” is rich with images of restlessness, longing and the elusiveness of love. The band counterbalances bittersweet lyrics with musical buoyancy and intimate songs develop into anthems. Artist Website
Tim Fite
Born and raised in rural New Jersey, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tim Fite runs the gamut from hip hop to indie rock and alt/country. Deeply steeped in the contrasting traditions of these genres, Tim Fite’s "Gone Ain't Gone" bridges a cultural void, connecting a deep-seated respect for our troubled and sonically rich past with a view toward a harrowing yet hopeful future. Artist Website
August 14 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Delta Spirit
Indie rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, from Brooklyn/Philadelphia were touted as the hottest unsigned band in the U.S. in 2005. Their self-titled debut was self-produced, self-released, self-promoted, and self-distributed, with a great deal of help from the grassroots indie blog machine. Rolling Stone championed the cause by heralding the group as “Hot New Band” for 2005 and by the end of the year, CYHSY signed with U.K. based Wichita Recordings. In 2006, the group, with their new label, leaked out a few EPs before they hit the shelves with their second full-length album, Some Loud Thunder, in 2007. Band members are; Alec Ounsworth, Lee Sargent, Robbie Guertin, Tyler Sargent and Sean Greenhalgh. Artist Website
Delta Spirit
After the San Diego-based emo outfit Noise Ratchet called it quits in 2004, co-founders Jon Jameson and Brandon Young decided to ditch their punk-influenced songwriting for something more soulful and rootsy. The two left Rick Rubin's American label and joined forces with Matthew Vasquez, Sean Walker, and Kelly Winrich to form Delta Spirit. Pitching their style between the indie rock and alt-country camps, the group issued the “I Think I've Found It” EP in 2006 and hit the road alongside Cold War Kids and Dr. Dog. A self-released full-length effort, “Ode to Sunshine,” followed in 2007. Artist Website
August 21 Broken Social Scene | Big Sleep
Broken Social Scene
A Toronto-based enterprise, Broken Social Scene was born of a partnership between Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, at first creating their music in basements and bedrooms. The line-up expands and contracts depending on who is available to join in. The revolving support cast includes Leslie Feist, Emily Haines, James Shaw, John Crossingham and guitarist Andrew Whiteman who performed on last year’s Twilight stage with Apostle of Hustle. With the diverse make up of the group, every live show promises a new dimension and spontaneity to the performance. Artist Website
The Big Sleep is a three-piece band, based in New York, with a big sound, full of heart and percussive drive. Primarily instrumental with occasional lustrous vocals by bass-player Sonia Balchadani, the Village Voice dubbed The Big Sleep as “easily New York’s best unknown.” Danny Barria and his soaring guitar solos and Gabriel Rhodes’ “deep in the pocket” percussion with Balchadani’s quaking bass create their own world on stage, populated by sweeping and electrifying sets. Their impressive stage show has earned them numerous high profile performances with such bands as Secret Machines, Editors, and Wilderness. Artist Website
August 28 Neko Case | Crooked Fingers
Neko Case
Neko Case claims no genre, nor relies on any classic formula for her songs and singing. With a sense of having lived in another era, Neko has unleashed in equal turns a raucous and otherworldly form of music. Her unique vocal talent and the musical depth and strength of her recordings are highly regarded. Yet it is her lyrical prowess and her ability to shape verse that coalesce her distinctive, powerful music. Artist Website
Crooked Fingers
In 2000 after the Archers of Loaf disbanded, noted songwriter and indie-rock icon Eric Bachmann took his music in a different direction when he formed Crooked Fingers. Instead of the clamorous, angular rock of old, he began creating the sumptuous and delicately melancholic songs that have come to define the band. Crooked Fingers’ latest album, “Dignity and Shame,” illustrates chief songwriter Bachmann’s heartbreaking yet newly hopeful lyrics. Artist Website