Silver Sound Showdown Music + Video Festival 11

Brooklyn band Valipala perform remarkable feats of hybridized soul, melding a vast range of genres to produce a distinct signature sound. Funk, R&B, math rock, and jazz constructs are weaved together in a tight compendium of sound in Valipala’s recorded output, with their live shows even more full of dynamic variation and creative spontaneity. Valipala’s debut EP, Mango City, was released October 2017 to all major streaming platforms. Their upcoming EP, bubble, featuring Braxton Cook and Vulfpeck collaborator Richie Rodriguez, will be released in February 2020.

An unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader Grace Kelly has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 13 acclaimed albums and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl and as part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – all before reaching her mid-twenties.

Kelly’s early career featured performances at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration at age 16 and at 14 as a soloist with the Boston Pops playing an original composition arranged for the legendary orchestra; she has since then played over 900 shows as bandleader in 35 countries at venues like the Kennedy Center and Moscow Symphony Hall and for the Montreal, Newport, and Montreux international jazz festivals. Touted for her scorching saxophone stylings and purring vocals, Kelly has performed and recorded with renowned artists including Lin Manuel- Miranda, Dave Brubeck, Phil Woods, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Questlove, and Wynton Marsalis.

Oh He Dead hails from Washington, D.C., and is quickly garnering national attention.  Lead singer CJ Johnson, “maneuvers her powerful voice — a combination of Stevie Nicks and Tracy Chapman” (NPR) in rhythm with the band’s “infectiously groovy” and “sublime instrumentation” (NPR) to create an “infectious and soulful sound” (Washington Post).  Founded in 2015 by Johnson and Andy Valenti, the now five-piece group includes lead guitarist Alex Salser, TJ Turkman on bass, and Adam Ashforth on drums. The close-knit band weaves in and out of genres ranging from soul to funk to folk to rock, all tied together by the stirring harmonies of Johnson and Valenti.

Bandits on the Run is a Brooklyn-based criminal trio, notorious for stealing hearts and serenading strangers. They first gained infamy conducting musical sticks-ups in the subways of New York City with their three part-harmony and nostalgic sensibilities.

In their year-and-a-half-long stint of making musical mischief together, they've gone from conducting musical hold ups throughout the metro system to ever larger acts of banditry. They've been responsible for Tiny-Desk-Attention-Getting videos like this one. They've scored films like this one. They've gone on top-40 radio stations, stolen hearts at weddings, played countless NYC music venues, and indoctrinated thousands into a life of banditry that extends far beyond the walls of the subway. 

At the center of this dangerous crime ring are Roy Dodger, guitar & vocals (a.k.a. Adrian Enscoe); Bonanza Jellyfish, cello & vocals (a.k.a. Sydney Shepherd); and “Clarissa”, percussion, xylophone & vocals (a.k.a. Regina Strayhorn). All three bring their unique voices and songwriting abilities to the table, creating a variety of sounds and styles that create a musical web of sound hard to pin down, and even harder to resist.

To your ears, these whimsical criminals will sound like a nostalgic medley of old and new. Their tools are various and sundry, a motley mix of off-beat pop music covers, reworked jazz and rock standards, and originals that’ll make you feel like deja vu all over again. They've amassed a collection of songs, stolen and original alike, that some say would charm the pants off of even the most callous New Yorker. 

But don't take our word for it, catch the Bandits in action! You may find yourself swept away, smiling in spite of yourself, slow dancing with a stranger, or even dropping a dollar into the cello case.