Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

on sale fri 8/24 @ 10am

Galactic was born in the early '90s, after two Washington DC punks – guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio – relocated to New Orleans and found themselves intoxicated by the sounds of the scene that nurtured The Meters, Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. Armed with the rhythmic tradition of its hometown, the six-piece future funk outfit has spent over a decade tearing through venues across the world, leaving hordes of die-hard Galactic junkies in its wake. Constantly weaving modern and retrospective styles into its own trademark jazz-funk-rock fusion, Galactic has created a far-reaching canon informed by ongoing influence from a wide range of genres, including hip-hop, blues, pop, and electronica. Now, with six albums and countless landmark live shows to its credit, Galactic is once again headed to new territory—for now, as an instrumental powerhouse.



This current drive to develop new instrumental music marks a deliberate shift from the Galactic’s last major creative venture. The making of the 2003 album Ruckus with producer Dan “The Automator” Nakamura (Dr. Octagon, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gorillaz) found Galactic writing concise vocal tunes with catchy pop hooks and plenty of electronic edge. While early albums such as Crazyhorse Mongoose (1997) and Late for the Future (2000) set up transcendental funk jams from loosely composed songs, Ruckus’ 13 tracks presented a cross-section of influences from Galactic’s decade-long career, wrapped into a tight set of songs that showcased individual musicianship as well as overall vision. Today, Galactic’s organic instrumentals maintain a stronghold among effects, loops, and other modern electronic techniques. In the studio and on stage, Galactic displays a remarkable ability to present modern material with retrospective styling.



A sought-after act on the international live music circuit, Galactic has completed countless U.S. tours, four European tours, and four highly successful trips to Japan. At home and abroad, the band has shared tours and shows with an astonishing range of concert blockbusters, including Live, Counting Crows, the Allman Brothers Band, The Roots, Widespread Panic, B.B. King, and Jurassic 5. Now touring as an instrumental act for the first time in 10 years, Galactic is currently in pre-production for a new album that will display further creative development and a new emphasis on instrumental exploration. On the road and in its own New Orleans studio, Galactic continues to reinvent itself, inspiring its ever-growing fan base with ongoing artistic evolution, synthesizing the most thrilling elements of vintage and contemporary styles to keep the party rolling.



Don’t miss Galactic featuring Chali 2NA of Jurassic 5 and Boots Riley of The Coup with special guests live at the Commodore Ballroom on Thursday, October 18th.