Tom Tom Club, Caravan of Thieves and more LIVE October 14, 2010

TOM TOM CLUB

The Talking Heads formed in 1975 as part of movement, alongside the likes of Arthur Russell and Peter Zummo, that aimed to blur contemporary pop with avant garde musics . The exploits of David Byrne’s legendary quartet are paramount in rock history, and the side project formed by his bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz has built a comparable legacy. TOM TOM CLUB began officially in 1980 as a creative outlet for the married couple. Their tendency towards the funky and quirky has enjoyed widespread critical and commercial success; their self-titled debut featured “Genius Of Love” which would become one of the biggest jams of the decade. That track’s groove remains widely sampled and is a central component to numerous hits including Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” Grandmaster Flash’s “It’s Nasty” and Ziggy Marley’s “Tomorrow People (Hank Shocklee Remix).” The album was recorded in the Bahamas during the sessions for Grace Jones’ Nightclubbing, providing the opportunity to collaborate with some of the Caribbean’s most prominent session musicians including Ezikiah “Sticky” Thompson and the Sweetbreath Sisters. Thus, the Tom Tom Club represented revolutionary thinking in popular music while calling attention to kindred genres, reggae and the emerging hip-hop scene to be specific.

CARAVAN OF THIEVES

Headed up by vocalists Fuzz (Deep Banana Blackout, Tom Tom Club) and Carrie Sangiovanni, Caravan of Thieves have built a distinct sound that relies on acoustic arrangements and gypsy progressions. Their luscious harmonies are befitted by the virtuosic violin courtesy of Ben Dean, and the jazz-trained bass playing by Brian Hill. Their 2008 LP Bouquet was produced by Keith “Touch” Saunders, creative force behind numerous MTV and Sony projects.