April 14th, 2015 – Putnam, CT
Spring is in the air, and with the kickoff for the upcoming season of First Fridays coming up in a little over two weeks, the Putnam Business Association and First Fridays committee are excited to announce the live entertainment lineup for the 2015 season of events. For six evenings spanning May through October, downtown Putnam will be filled with live music from a variety of musical genres. Visitors from near and far are sure to be enthralled with this year’s lineup of bands known throughout the region.
On Friday, May 1st, the Extraordinary Rendition Band will be back by popular demand! With a set that wowed patrons at the October 2014 First Fridays event, ERB will return to Putnam for a one of a kind performance. Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, ERB is a street band of brass, reeds and percussion that plays guerrilla style and in the streets while trying to uplift everyone within earshot. They celebrate the heritage and joy of marching/roving band shows and their rich, diverse history by playing songs that celebrate those histories, while having a great time playing together and with our audiences.
Next up, the June 5th First Fridays will feature The Moldy Suitcases. Coming to the event from the Bristol County area of Massachusetts, The Moldy Suitcases is a tribute to the underground style of the 1920’s. Over the past year, the group has developed their own quirky originals, even their own instruments, in hopes of recapturing that long forgotten style. With a stage that looks very much like a yard sale – full of interesting odds and ends – The Moldy Suitcases have entertained audiences throughout New England.
Things will start to heat up with the July 3rd event, as the KC Moaners take the First Fridays stage. The Moaners have been entertaining folks around Southern New England with music that has a solidly authentic feel and a fresh and light-hearted approach that together provide a rollicking good time every time out. Drawing on old-time blues, jazz and folk sources, the band’s blend of traditional and non-traditional instrumentation lends a free-wheeling, good time feel that gets toes tapping and hands clapping every time.
A local favorite, The Great Garage Band Reunion will headline at the August 7th First Fridays. The GGBR is a 14-piece show group that features the music of the 60’s and 70’s. The band includes six horns and six featured vocalists and performs R&B, Rock ‘n Roll, and Blues hits from such legends as Etta James, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Ray Charles to name a few.
Heading into the penultimate evening of the 2015 season, the September 4th event will feature the fun and energy of the band, synerGy. A 5-piece rock band from
Killingly, synerGy features two Guitarists, three-part harmonies, keyboards and an unhealthy obsession with capitalizing the letter “G”. Their eclectic set list covers music from the 70’s through today and their high-energy show will have you on the dance floor all night long. But be warned, a night spent with synerGy may very well turn into many nights spent with synerGy.
On October 2nd, the sixth and final evening of the festival will showcase a truly innovative duo: VulGarrity. Performing music with a modern twist, VulGarrity is a highly skilled rock band from Providence, RI consisting of siblings Shawn and Tracy Garrity. Their approach to live performance is a unique one; Tracy and Shawn play every instrument themselves – at the same time. The use of loop pedals allows the dynamic duo to play drums, guitar, bass and keys, all while executing tight vocal harmonies. That’s not all; they switch instruments, too – usually several times during a show, sometimes within the same song, without missing a beat.