![]() Thank You from ProgDay 2020!(September 8, 2020) THANK YOU to all of the outstanding bands who participated in this year’s Virtual ProgDay 2020. After canceling the physical event due to the pandemic, creating a virtual event was an 11th hour decision based on our desire to have the festival continue in some form this year. This was only made possible through the efforts of the eight bands that either streamed live performances or produced prerecorded concerts especially for the ProgDay audience. Most of these bands would normally find it very difficult or impractical to come to the US to have their music heard at ProgDay, but the virtual event made it possible. THANK YOU to Tom Palmieri and Ann Rinaldi of ProgStock who partnered with ProgDay to present those bands. THANK YOU to the audience who joined ProgDay online to listen to the music. While we know it doesn’t replace hanging out with the ProgDay community at Storybook Farm, the audience was enthusiastic and feedback after the festival indicates that it was a fun and rewarding experience for those who attended. In particular, ProgDay would like to express its appreciation to the audience for its overall support of the event. A big part of ProgDay is experiencing new music, but that can only happen when people show up to hear it. Ticket sales were very consistent across all of the shows, indicating that most attendees were not cherry-picking individual artists, but were onboard for all of the performances. That means a lot to both the bands and the festival. We hope everyone had a great time. Hopefully we will all be together next year on the field at ProgDay 2021. Three More Bands for Virtual ProgDay 2020!(August 31, 2020) ![]() Ghost Rhythms (France)“The music here walks a wide loop around Soft Machine and Magma, Univers Zero and Henry Cow, Miles Davis and Miriodor, Van Der Graaf Generator and Art Zoyd. It's impeccably assembled and played, while freely indulging the more insane aspects of progressive rock, avant-garde chamber music, and electric jazz....Despite the musical sophistication and adventure on Live at Yoshiwara, this music is extremely accessible to a wide swathe of listeners. Its release signals the magnificent arrival of Ghost Rhythms on American shores. Get it now.” GHOST RHYTHMS is an avant-fusion band created in 2005 by composers Camille Petit and Xavier Gélard. Having worked in a variety of rock and progressive rock-type ensembles, neither had any background in jazz, but both had an interest in forming a jazz ensemble. To play their compositions, they recruited jazz and classical players for the group. They felt that an interesting balance between immediacy and a more cerebral approach would be achieved combining their own background as self-taught, prog-rock-influenced composers/musicians with the academically-trained classical/jazz musicians who made up the rest of GHOST RHYTHMS. The result is a unique take on jazz fusion where the explore what they term “ghost rhythm” - playing with pulsation, odd rhythms and illusory perception to create a very special musical experience. ![]() Les Évadés (Canada)LES ÉVADÉS is an instrumental five piece formed in 2014 in Quebec City. Their sound is created through a unique combination of jazz, rock, world music and classical music. After an eponymous album in 2016, the band came back rejuvenated as a collective with a new album, Black Mamba, in 2019. Merging a rock-influenced rhythm section (guitar-bass-drums) with the lyrical and almost classical feel of a strings section (violin-cello), the sound of LES ÉVADÉS stands out due to their hybridity and their precisely defined identity. Sometimes dark, sometimes cinematic, sometimes mournful, sometimes uplifting, always engaging… ![]() Gnarbot (US)GNARBOT is a prog-fusion band from Philadelphia. Formed in 2017, the band draws from a broad sonic palette inspired by the likes of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Soundgarden, and Flying Lotus to create intricate, exploratory compositions. Their unique blend of complex rhythms, heavy riffs, ethereal vocals, and textured improvisations offers a fresh, energetic musical perspective. Tickets Are Now On Sale!(August 28, 2020) Tickets for the five announced bands are now available for purchase. To buy tickets, please visit the Tickets Page for information about tickets and the Bands Page for information about the bands, performances and the broadcast schedule. Please read the information on both pages before buying a ticket. Stay tuned - three more confirmed bands to be announced very soon. Two More Bands for Virtual ProgDay 2020!(August 26, 2020) We are pleased to announce two more bands for Virtual ProgDay 2020. ![]() Hooffoot (Sweden)“Hooffoot’s debut album was one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises during the decade... Hooffoot came almost out of nowhere and was relatively easily named album of the year by Progrocks.gr editors in 2015... Where many prog bands fail, Hooffoot triumph. The expressive pluralism, the smoothness of changes and the flawless orchestration are simply rare...” HOOFFOOT began as a “Sunday forum for three men to meet, try weird musical ideas, drink coffee and complain about back ache.” But the band began to carefully expand, inviting musicians of various musical backgrounds into the mix. The result is a singular take on fusion that is often compared to Miles Davis and Soft Machine, with nods to Santana and Fläsket Brinner. As the band says, “Santana loved Miles. Magma loved Coltrane. Soft Machine loved pop. Pink Floyd loved Soft Machine. Weather Report loved African grooves. The Italian progressive bands loved classical music. Return to Forever loved Brazilian stuff. Frank Zappa loved Black Sabbath. Hooffoot love them all. Forget about labels like rock, jazz, progressive and kraut…" ![]() Stop Motion Orchestra (US)STOP MOTION ORCHESTRA was the first band announced for ProgDay 2020 before the physical event was canceled. We are happy that they are able to join us for Virtual ProgDay 2020. Here is what we said the first time around: "Instant Everything!…impressively shows how you can creatively refresh a synthesis of Canterbury and Avant prog and add numerous influences.” “Lightworks…is nothing short of a masterpiece which cannot be described properly in words. So, those who enjoy intricate, intellectual, yet entertaining cross-genre instrumental music should try the album for sure. Let me say my 'Bravos' to this incredible ensemble!” STOP MOTION ORCHESTRA is an ensemble of seasoned musicians from Austin’s progressive and experimental music scenes. Mixing influences ranging from Henry Cow, Cardiacs, Haniwa-Chan and Picchio Dal Pozzo, to traditional music from Eastern Europe and South Asia, they play “highly harmonically based, rhythmically interesting and through-composed music that’s a pleasure to listen to…” (Chris Cutler). Formed in 2013, the band has released two highly acclaimed albums. First Bands Announced for Virtual ProgDay 2020!(August 17, 2020) This year we have tried to use our virtual response to the pandemic as a path to showcasing bands that we would normally not be able to present to the ProgDay audience. With that in mind, we are pleased to announce the first three bands for Virtual ProgDay 2020. ![]() Mad Fellaz (Italy)“...one of Italy's most promising acts and a beacon of unending entertainment for those who worship originality and style. This is one hell of a crew, certainly deserving of an avid following in Progland.” Citing Area, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, King Crimson and Gentle Giant as original influences, exploration and growth has been the mindset of this band from the beginning. MAD FELLAZ started life as an all-instrumental ensemble creating eclectic progressive rock with symphonic and fusion underpinnings. For their second outing the eclecticism increased with the addition of a female vocalist, with the music taking a turn into new areas. For their third release, a new male singer took over vocal duties. Again, this added fresh elements to an already potent mix of styles. The result is three albums that reference and build on each other, yet maintain their own ambiance and identity, and in the end are all uniquely MAD FELLAZ. ![]() VAK (France)"Even if they had disbanded after Budo, what they’ve already given artistically is enormous and, most importantly, unique. This is one of the top zeuhl records of all time and one of the best prog albums of the last decades." One need look no farther than VAK to see the state of zeuhl. Often compared to Eskaton, Eider Stellaire and Magma, VAK are a standard bearer for the current state of the art, delivering complex, dramatic, emotional, grooving and melodic compositions. With zeuhl as their base, as the band expanded new styles were integrated into the sound including metal, classical music, and even experimental noise music. VAK cohesively assembles all of these influences and ideas into exciting music that is interesting and engaging and that you will want to hear again. ![]() Vespero (Russia)“The music is utterly creative with traces of Hawkwind, Gong, Hidria Spacefolk and Vibravoid never far away. While so many bands blandly crank out tired stoner rock with a few whirling synth parts, VESPERO construct complex edifices of interwoven sounds that independently evoke the exotic while collectively elevating the mind to higher dimensions. This is the stuff that 21st century space rock dreams are made of.” Formed in 2003 and releasing their first album in 2007, VESPERO has become one of the most important space rock bands of the 21st century. With almost 20 albums released, the band has managed to not repeat themselves by consistently defining new musical goals. Producing psychedelic prog rock taken to trippy extremes, their music is a spaced out psychedelic journey of soundscapes, musicianship, musical flow and innovation. Virtual ProgDay 2020 Update
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BANDS FOR 2020
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