Upcoming Shows 4/17 - 4/26

00:00 April 11, 2014
By: Staff
xDefinition

The Breton Sound
Thursday, April 17; 8 p.m.
Gasa Gasa, 4920 Freret Street
Gasagasa.com; $7

The Breton Sound has become a New Orleans power house as of late that you will most definitely want to catch live. The band that started with modest beginnings consisting of Jonathan Pretus and Stephen Turner has grown into a four man piece that has made a considerable impact on the New Orleans rock scene. After releasing their debut EP, Eudaemonia, the two ambitiously went on tour promoting the EP at which time they welcomed Brian Pretus to the group. With influences ranging from Weezer to Oasis, The Breton Sound has tailored a sound all of their own, picking up steam upon the release of their second EP, MAPS. The Breton Sound is bound for a successful year in 2014. You can see them live at Gasa Gasa's "Cover Set Series" where they will be covering Pinkerton. - Kevin Laughlin

TANDEM, Kaboom, xDefinition,
New Rebel Family
Saturday, April 19; 9 p.m.
House of Blues, 225 Decatur Street
Houseofblues.com; $10

Setting up a music gumbo of sorts, NOLA Rocks brings the viewer just that with its diverse lineup that features music from the indie, hip hop, rock, pop, and blues genres. This lineup features TANDEM a four-piece band hailing from Lafayette, LA specializing in rock/pop. Only together two years this band has shared the stage with numerous national acts and released their first EP, Bright Nights, in 2013. Kaboom is the next ingredient in the gumbo coming out of Biloxi, MS, and making shockwaves as they won the US division of Hard Rock Rising competition, after only playing together for three months! Specializing in Indie-Pop this group will get the crowd moving in a way like no other. Another Mississippi ingredient added to the pot will be New Rebel Family a group with numerous years of music experience. Having shared stages with Jack White, Nas, and Smashing Pumpkin to name a few this hip hop, blues, and rock and roll group will make you glade you came. Last but certainly not least, New Orleans own xDefinition will be sure to shake up the place with their Psychedelic Rock inspired music. - Kevin Laughlin

Eric Hutchinson
Sunday, April, 20; 8:00 p.m.
House of Blues; 225 Decatur St.
HouseofBlues.com; $15

Touring in promotion of his latest Album, Pure Fiction, Eric Hutchinson has been at the forefront of the pop music scene since 2008 when he performed his popular single "Rock and Roll" (Sounds Like This) on Late Night, Jay Leno, and Jimmy Kimmel. Since, he released Moving Up, Living Down in 2012 which employed the same bouncy, up-beat, "power" pop and signature piano skills. With a sound similar to artists like Jason Mraz, The Fray, and John Mayer, Hutchinson sets out to "focus on the good things in life" in his latest, Pure Fiction. His first single off the album, "Tell the World," is being featured in TV shows Growing up Fischer and Couples Therapy and is the perfect fit to his positive outlook. In the music video, the high-on-life Hutchinson straps on a camera and hits the streets of New York for what USA Today called "a moving selfie." Do you love life, piano, pop music and selfies? This show is bound to have you appreciating the small things and humming all the way home. -Lauren Adam

Dick Dale
Wednesday, April 23; 9 p.m.
Howlin Wolf, 907 South Peters
Thehowlinwolf.com; $25

This word record breaker's career could best describe as a young and now older musician. In the 1950's Dick Dale created what would later be dubbed "surf music" in the 1960's. He broke every attendance record there was at the famous Rendezvous Ballroom as he drew over 4,000 screaming admirers. Dale would later go on to be the first man to play a Fender guitar when his friend Leo Fender handed him a Fender Stratocoaster. Dale would push Leo's products to the limit with his heavy playing style helping the company to become what it is today. Dale's debut album, Surfer's Choice, was the first surfing album commercially sold, selling 88,000 copies which would be equivalent to about 4 million today. Dale continues to tour today and has been slotted as one of the hardest working men in show business. - Kevin Laughlin

Slightly Stoopid
Thursday, April, 24; 8 p.m.
The Joy Theater, 1200 Canal St.
TheJoyTheater.com; $27.50

Imagine a world where rap, rock, reggae, funk, blues and folk fuse, waves are crashing and the faint aroma of summer lingers.This is the world of Slightly Stoopid. Straight from the beach, the smooth vibrations of Slightly Stoopid have set the scene for peace, love and jamming since 1995 - almost twenty years! Among their most recognized hits, "This Joint" (Top of the World, 2012) has an air of Bone Thugs, "No Cocaine" (Slightly not Stoned Enough to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid, 2008) which showcases the band's reggae aficionado, and "Collie Man" a soothing lullaby-esque track (Everything you Need, 2003). With 9 records to include in their discology, it's no wonder Slightly Stoopid has managed to experiment with so many different genres while still maintaining their chill style and lax narrative. Their spring tour includes a break from the states to hit up Brazil while they promote the release of their live album Slightly Stoopid & Friends: Live at Roberto's TRI Studios. The event which was hosted by Tommy Chong includes musical guests Karl Denson, Ivan and Ian Neville of Dumpstaphunk, Don Carlos, and Bob Weir. Take a load off and roll with the homies at Joy Theater. -Lauren Adam

Sync Up 2014
Friday-Saturday, April 25-26; May 2-3; 9 a.m.
N.O. Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle
Jazzandheritage.org/sync-up; Free

The seventh annual Sync Up entertainment industry conference is a fascinating course into the rapidly changing realm of the music and film business. Through panels and Q and A's with producers, entertainers, booking agents, and promoters, attendees will learn all about how to make music, promote it, and profit from it from the experts themselves. Each day begins at 9 a.m. before Jazz Fest begins and wraps up around noon for those traveling to the nearby music fest, so there's no having to choose between the two. Some highlights from the first days of the conference include a presentation on Louisiana's entertainment incentives and making your social media fans paying customers. The second includes a case study on Hurray for the Riff Raff as a Louisiana band that is making a name internationally, a panel discussion on getting your music placed in advertisements for national recognition, artist development in today's world, and much more. During the week, Sync Up will host the Sync Up Cinema film festival featuring local independent films and panel discussions with the New Orleans Video Access Center and New Orleans Film Society. The films will be shown from April 28-30 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The entire conference is free and open to the public; you need only register online to attend. The information is invaluable no matter what field you're involved in. -Emily HIngle

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