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The Pocket Bandits will be performing a free show at the SUNY Broome Angelo Zuccolo Little Theater.
Date: Thursday, October 2
Time: 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Location: Angelo Zuccolo Little Theater in the Student Center
Inspired by boundary-breaking instrumental dance bands like Soulive and Snarky Puppy, Pocket Bandits is a modern twist on the old-school organ trio: the power of a big band in a tiny package. Joe Massa brings technical facility and a vast tonal palette on the electric guitar; Simon Bjarning provides rock-solid grooves and orchestral grandeur behind the drum kit; Samuel B. Lupowitz delivers all-limbs-on-deck coverage of melodies, harmonies, and basslines on Hammond organ, synthesizers, and pedal keyboards. Thrilling your senses and filling the dance floor, Pocket Bandits engage their audiences with melodic, dynamic original compositions, as well as crowd-pleasers by The Beatles, Chappell Roan, Steely Dan, and even the Super Mario Brothers.
Sam Lupowitz and Joe Massa began playing together in 2014 in various groups around the Central New York region, including Thru Spectrums, Noon Fifteen, the Jeff Love Band, and Kitestring. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted the pair’s performing and recording, Massa suggested assembling an instrumental trio as a tight-knit, agile outlet for their musical chops, compositional ideas, and collaborative spirit. Enter Simon Bjarning, an alumnus of the Royal Danish Academy of Music with a resume including Denmark’s major symphony orchestras as well as Hanson, Evanescence, Celtic Thunder, and Sarah Brightman. The chemistry between Joe, Sam, and Simon was immediate, and Pocket Bandits were born.
“Musical fearlessness . . . reminds me of Medeski, Martin & Wood . . . these guys are feeling and grooving their way into those technical spaces, and that’s always a thrill to take in.”
Matt Terzi, Parlor City Sound
Pocket Bandits LIVE in the SUNY Broome Little Theater (pdf)
Official website: www.pocketbandits.com
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Submitted by: Music and Theater