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SIMON SAYS BOOKING
Founded in January of 2002, Simon Says Booking is a fully functioning booking agency and publicity firm representing artists around the country, acting as talent buyer for venues, and securing talent for festivals, universities, and other events.
THE ARTISTS
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Scroll down the page to see the complete roster of acts.
SIMON SAYS PUBLICITY
Simon Says opened its publicity arm in Autumn 2002. Simon Says Publicity features reasonable rates and amazing returns for our clients. Click here to inquire about publicity services.
THE ZEN TRICKSTERS - Formed 24 years ago, the Zen Tricksters´ mission is to blend jamming originals with tasty Dead nuggets to create sets you only dreamed about hearing. Phil Lesh was so impressed with the band´s ability to jam in the studio that he tapped two members to be part of his Phil & Friends collective
Adam Ezra Group - From From sold out shows throughout New England, to touring spots around the country, Adam Ezra Group are forging a fan base that is devoted to his soulful lyrics, his great songwriting, and the band's tight execution of their material. Sold out shows at the Mercury in New York, the Paradise in Boston, the Stone Church in New Hampshire all foretell an amazing future for this great band. With a charitable spirit and unfathomable energy, Adam Ezra is racing down the path blazed before him by folks like Stephen Kellogg and John Mayer, while charting a course that is all his own.
PHAT PHUNKTION - This 9 piece band hails from Madison, WI and has all of the elements to become the best funk band on the planet! Horns (4 piece section) keys, bump, grind, snap, pop, bass, drums, funk and jive all combine in a high energy show!
Sexfist - Sexfist have taken Chicago by storm, amazing audiences with their high-energy, hard-driving picking and angelic harmony singing. Sexfist have won numerous awards and accolades including Third All-Time Highest Score on the Golden Tee game at the Oasis in Rogers Park, a citation in June 2005 by Officer Reginald A. White for disorderly conduct, and a 2007 Franky nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The band is not currently touring in support of its self-titled debut CD as they are not legally allowed to operate motor vehicles. You can however see the Fist live and in person every Tuesday night at the Red Line Tap in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Lubriphonic - Funk and Soul from Chicago, IL
Lubriphonic greases your ears, moves your hips, and leaves you reeling in sweaty bliss. Simmering and intense, with chops to spare, Lubriphonic’s live performances create a spicy dish that is guaranteed to cure what ails you.
Lubriphonic is the brainchild of guitarist Giles Corey and drummer Rick King and began with a residency at Chicago’s legendary Checkerboard Lounge. They recruited some of the best blues, funk, and rock musicians in the city for these raucous sessions. The result fuses roots music with explosive rock’n’roll and sensuous old-school dance music-- part Stones, part Funkadelic, and part Otis Redding.
Combine the best elements of old-school funk and edgy rock and roll, throw in some soulful R&B, and you end up with Lubriphonic, one of the most happening bands out there today... Lubriphonic draws from strong, eclectic influences, yet is cutting-edge original-- Soul Solution is a listening pleasure and a dancing treat. -- John Lynskey, Hittin' The Note
ROOTS OF CREATION - Excellent mix of Reggae and Rock from Nashua New Hampshire. Gaining a great following throughout New England. They are young and hungry, and promote the heck out of their shows. Lacking the normal aggravation that goes with touring reggae bands (they bring their own backline for instance) their energy and exuberance help to shine the true light of this music to eager new audiences.
FREEKBASS - Freekbass is the protégé of Funk legend Bootsy Collins and a six time Cincinnati Music Award winner. Funk master Bootsy Collins produced the last three records and is also managing the band. The band is celebrating the recent release of the studio album Junkyard Waltz which includes guest appearances by Collins, Buckethead, Jen Durkin, Mike Gordon and others. In the last few years, Freekbass have released multiple studio albums, a performance DVD, multiple instructional DVDs (Freekbass teaches funk bass), and have toured the nation from coast to coast.
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus - From the sweeping scenery of Western Michigan hails a rare creature known as Ultraviolet Hippopotamus. This radiating river cow has been known to blend strong songs and tight licks with improvisation to help find an original sound where their progressive aspirations meet their audience‘s thirst for funk. Some say it's rock. Some say it's more like jazz. Still others report electronica, reggae and even bluegrass emanating from the massive orifice of this unpredictable menace. One thing is for sure with multiple live recordings, two full length albums "Background Music" and the acclaimed recent release "Songs for the Reaper" (called …"a classic"… by Music Review and WYCE radio) this six headed beast has become a phenomenon in the Mid West music scene. With their thirst for exploration and desire to connect with the listener, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus leaves audiences shakin' their booties and wanting more.
The Henhouse Prowlers - Dedicated equally to tradition and innovation, The Henhouse Prowlers center their sound on that of the early, formative years of bluegrass, while they keep their pulse on today by covering contemporary topics in a largely original repertoire. The Henhouse Prowlers wear the Bill Monroe mantle with spit and polish. They perform -- and conduct media interviews -- in suit-and-tie and work in a tightly choreographed, one-mic stage setting, which adds a dynamic dimension to their shows. Combining passion, confidence and flair with instrumental and vocal prowess, The Prowlers deliver bluegrass with an edge.
CHICAGO AFROBEAT PROJECT - Chicago Afrobeat Project, emerging in 2002 from an industrial, urban Chicago art community, has established itself as leaders in the non-traditionalist side of the afrobeat movement. The 7-14 person ensemble energizes the classic afrobeat influences of juju, highlife, American funk, and afro-Cuban music with a formative infusion of experimental jazz and rock elements that thrive in the Chicago music scene. Inherent in the group’s sound is an expression of world cultural unity and social awareness within a medium of music, dance and rebellious celebration. Chicago Afrobeat Project has released three albums to date including a self-titled album (2005), “(A) Move to Silent Unrest” (2007), and the newest release, “Off the Grid” (2008). The band is celebrating their 2008 Chicago Music Award Winner for Best African Act.
Michael Jay's Mystic Rebel - The concept sells itself. Who doesn’t love Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, or even reggae in general? This amazing band not only covers the hits, but many of the more obscure material as well. Festival, college, and club appearances throughout the Northeast and Mid Atlantic and Midwest have heralded the genesis of Michael Jay’s Mystic Rebel. 2008 heralds new material from the band as well including originals and material bringing many musical worlds together. They were voted Favorite band of the 2006 Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA. Come See Why!
Natives of the New Dawn - Motown's Mix of Funk, Hip Hop, and Soul. Veterans of the Warped Tour and the Emergenza Music Festival International Finals!
Fareed Haque - - Formerly on Blue Note Records and now on Magna Carta records, this amazing guitar player is bending the lines between jazz, world beat, and jam music. Fareed Haque and the Flat Earth Ensemble
Winner of the 2009 Guitar Player Magazine Reader’s Poll for best World Guitarist. NEW ALBUM Flat Planet released by Owl Studios in March 2009. “Hindustani music swings!” says Fareed Haque, leader of the Flat Earth Ensemble (and member of Garaj Mahal). A jazz and classical guitar virtuoso, Haque's latest project is the culmination of years of study and innovation, a blending of Hindustani folk rhythms and groove jazz. “All my life I’ve loved the rhythms of South Asian folk music – the folk music from northwestern India and Pakistan, that is the basis for much of what is today called “Bollywood” film music, Qawwali, Bhangra. All of these are styles of South Asian music that GROOVE with hypnotic, high energy, danceable rhythms...much the same as the African-American gospel that is the basis of so much popular American music". Well known from years of touring as the band leader for Garaj Mahal, his audience base is drawn from jam friendly college students to serious button down jazz cats, to fans of East Indian and ethnic music. The list of musicians with whom he has played is amazing and includes Sting, Zakir Hussain, George Brooks, Paquito Rivera, Frank Bungarten, Joe Zawinul, Joe Henderson, Frank Vignola and many others.
Moses Guest - The mighty Moses Guest has awoken from their long slumber to hit the road this June and July. Originally hailing from Texas, the band will be touring throughout the West Coast and will be dropping a new studio album around that time. Their irresistible blend of dusty Americana, Rock, and Jam has long shaped their sound and will be present on the new album and live shows.
The JamStampede - The JamStampede is a Grateful Dead / Jerry Garcia tribute band that is the collection of some of the Northeast's finest jam musicians. The band contains three members of the Zen Tricksters, Tom Circosta on rhythm guitar, Klyph Black on bass guitar, Dave Diamond on drums, a member of Gongzilla on lead guitar- Mike Miz, and keyboardist extraordinaire Freeman White, a member of the band Live Dead. The quintet already has been out and playing, and their loving tribute to the Dead and Garcia is top notch. They are perfect for private parties and tribute shows.
Klyph Black and Rumor Has It - Klyph Black and Rumor Has It- In early 2009, Klyph Black joined up with two of his Zen Tricksters bandmates (Tom Circosta and Dave Diamond) and added other friends like John Sparrow and Arno Hecht to form a six piece band focusing on blues, r&b and classic rock material and dubbed the band Rumor Has It.. Arno is a legendary sax player who has played with everyone from the J Geils Band to the Rolling Stones, and brings an amazing energy to the band. Already signed for numerous festivals, the band is jumping into the scene in 2009 and taking it over in the years that follow!
Cabinet - From Wilkes-Barre, PA. "Coviello and his mandolin-playing songwriting partner JP Biondo formed the nucleus of Cabinet before the rest of the band came along. JP's cousin, Pat Biondo, recently moved to the area from Cleveland and was assimilated into the group after agreeing to learn a new skill. "I played guitar for years and when I wanted to join the band, they already had a guitar. Someone had a banjo lying around, so I started to learn how to play the banjo." Todd Kopec adds another bluegrassy element dynamic with his fiddle while Dylan Skursky's nimble fingers on the upright bass supplements the rest of the ensemble well. Oh, and did I mention that they all sing? Three and four-part harmonies are a regular part of the show. Hearing a bluegrass band play in NEPA is an amazing shift from the interchangeable bar bands. In the middle of one particularly long extended jam, I thought about how great it would have been to have that song playing in my car's stereo as I drove around Harveys Lake with the windows and sunroof open on a gorgeous summer day." excerpt from article written by: Dave Thackara ©Electric City 2006
Garaj Mahal - When you hear your first Garaj Mahal note, leading into an innovative fusion of funky jazz with a tasty world music flare, all other thoughts leave your mind as the music takes you on an unforgettable voyage. Fans return to experience the band again and again because they know they will always hear something new and progressive from these four first-class musicians. Featuring guitar and sitar virtuoso Fareed Haque (Sting, Zakir Hussein), world-renowned bass master and educator Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin), gospel-inspired funky jazz keyboardist Eric Levy, and consistently in-the-pocket, natural-born drummer Sean Rickman (Me'Shell, the Dapp Theory, MAXWELL), Garaj Mahal combines a century of musical experience to create a sound that's always new, freshly infused with a wide spectrum of musical expression, and always smoking hot. Touring extensively since their formation in 2000, Garaj Mahal continues to earn critical acclaim and a growing fanbase thanks to their ability to deliver serious "shut-up-and-listen" grooves while simultaneously bringing the dance floor alive. Their collective musical experience allows them to constantly push the envelope of composition and improvisation. Garaj Mahal's sound – a convergence of jazz-style improvisation, mystical Middle-Eastern atmospheres, and danceable American funk - attracts music lovers from all parts of the spectrum and creates a profoundly unique experience. Each band member dedicates every drop of his education, history, and life-long passion for music to their audience every time they step on stage.
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