New Music - Smoke the Groove
Greetings and salutations friends! Today, i'm kicking off a
week of new music for your ears. Each day i'll be writing about a
group that deserves your utmost attention, and to get it going
we'll start with a amazing group from my hometown.
Smoke the Groove
I was at the homestead last week to visit the parentals, and while there i had the opportunity to be at probably the coolest party i'd ever been to in Harrisburg. A good friend of mine had been invited by the lead singer, Joanna Kirby, to check out this party they'd be playing at. I was in town and i figured why not. We get there and realize that a whole block had been shut down for the "party". Which upon closer observation proved itself to be a concert venue in the middle of the street; perfect. A few other bands played before they came on; but once they were on, i had a strong urge to find me some glowsticks and dance my ass off. Unfortunately i didn't really think that far ahead, so no shiny lights.
One song in particular, Isabel, had me moving way before i even realized i was moving, i just had to move. And by the time they jumped into the best version of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" i've ever heard, i was kicking myself for not having brought a camera. Their blend of jazz, soul, and funk is tempered by a very independent vision of their sound. You really just have check it out for yourself. You can download a live set they performed at Harrisburg's Der Maennorchor here.
If you like what you hear, you can also follow them on Facebook or MySpace to get the latest on Smoke the Groove. I chatted with Joanna and Sonja Bontrager (keyboards) after they played, and they're really cool people on top of their excellent musicianship. So if you happen to catch them at a Smoke the Groove show, or at one of their various independent ventures, do say hi.
Joanna Kirby with DJ Ben Freeman
Smoke the Groove
I was at the homestead last week to visit the parentals, and while there i had the opportunity to be at probably the coolest party i'd ever been to in Harrisburg. A good friend of mine had been invited by the lead singer, Joanna Kirby, to check out this party they'd be playing at. I was in town and i figured why not. We get there and realize that a whole block had been shut down for the "party". Which upon closer observation proved itself to be a concert venue in the middle of the street; perfect. A few other bands played before they came on; but once they were on, i had a strong urge to find me some glowsticks and dance my ass off. Unfortunately i didn't really think that far ahead, so no shiny lights.
One song in particular, Isabel, had me moving way before i even realized i was moving, i just had to move. And by the time they jumped into the best version of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" i've ever heard, i was kicking myself for not having brought a camera. Their blend of jazz, soul, and funk is tempered by a very independent vision of their sound. You really just have check it out for yourself. You can download a live set they performed at Harrisburg's Der Maennorchor here.
If you like what you hear, you can also follow them on Facebook or MySpace to get the latest on Smoke the Groove. I chatted with Joanna and Sonja Bontrager (keyboards) after they played, and they're really cool people on top of their excellent musicianship. So if you happen to catch them at a Smoke the Groove show, or at one of their various independent ventures, do say hi.
Joanna Kirby with DJ Ben Freeman
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