Lvl Up At The First Unitarian Church

Kindly Use The 'Official FB Event' via Barrett Lindgren https://www.facebook.com/events/317266988482688/ LVL UP In October of 2011, 20 year old students Mike Caridi (guitar) and Dave Benton (guitar) formed both LVL UP and a young independent record label called Double Double Whammy in Purchase, NY. Originally a bedroom recording project of Mike and Dave, LVL UP quickly grew into a five-piece rock and roll band with the addition Nick Corbo (bass), Greg Rutkin (drums), and Ben Smith (guitar). The five saw the cassette release of their first full length, "Space Brothers" October of 2011, on Benton and Caridi’s new label Double Double Whammy, and on vinyl early in 2012 on Philadelphia label, Evil Weevil Records. While the band laid low for most of 2012 playing only a handful of shows, the album drew modest attention and garnered a small cult following in the Northeast and New England. LVL UP parted ways with Ben Smith in 2012 as he continued his educational endeavors elsewhere. At the end of the year, the band entered the studio to record a new batch of songs titled “Extra Worlds”, which was released on 7” via Double Double Whammy. 2013 was a big year for LVL UP, playing almost 100 shows in the year, completing several US tours, and following up “Extra Worlds” with a split 7” alongside NYC band, Porches. The band started 2014 on a high note, touring first with Pity Sex (Run For Cover) and then Saintseneca (ANTI), all while managing the DDW record label from the road, as they prepared for the release of the Frankie Cosmos “Zentropy” LP. Almost three years after the release of their first full length, "Space Brothers", LVL UP entered the studio several times attempting to complete their sophomore album, "Hoodwink’d". Completed in June 2014, “Hoodwink’d” showcases the evolution of style by the three primary songwriters, Benton, Caridi, and Corbo since the release of their first LP. Drawing influences from 90’s indie rock, 80’s new wave and 70’s power pop, the young boys have created an album that is stylistically diverse yet cohesive. "Hoodwink’d" will be released on Exploding in Sound and Double Double Whammy on September 23, 2014. LVL UP has toured with bands such as Pile, Saintseneca, Big Ups, Ovlov & Little Big League, and shared the stage with bands such as Real Estate, Beach Fossils, Speedy Ortiz, Diarrhea Planet, Hop Along, Bomb the Music Industry, Into It Over It, Japanther and Joyce Manor. Girlpool "If rebellion had a sound, I imagine it would end up sounding a lot like Girlpool. It's not necessarily a descriptor that they would ascribe to themselves — they'd probably go with honest — but what is honesty except a form of rebellion against expectations? And Girlpool subvert expectations at every turn. Made up of Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker, the duo chose early on to do more with less: They use only a guitar, a bass, and their own voices to craft prickly and powerful rock. Their minimalist approach to sound allows the lyrics to take center stage, and those lyrics are achingly genuine and upfront. Above all else, the band values their vulnerability: it's something that comes through potently in their music. It's punk in the best sense of the word: fresh, raw, and uncompromising, a callback to the heyday of riot grrl exceptionalism. What is perhaps the thematic through-line of their upcoming debut EP is on "Plants And Worms": "Your pain is an endless cycle/ The globe is a spinning rifle/ It's hard to see things simply/ When my thoughts are evoked within me." There's an inherent injustice in the world and, once you take notice of that, it's hard — impossible, really — to sit back and say nothing. So they do say something, and it's pained and frustrated and not always pretty. It's something we'd rather not hear about ourselves or our loved ones or the society we live in. Girlpool addresses these injustices in smart and poignant ways: There's racial inequality on "Paint Me Colors," slut-shaming on "Slutmouth," double standards on "American Beauty." These songs are all brimming with purpose, each couplet an effective scribe against oppression. It also helps that the music is a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. These songs are mechanical in their catchiness, churning like rusty gears. None of the tracks travel past the three-minute mark, and the duo uses that time to methodically explore every melody they create. They are punctuated by dramatic flourishes, like the piercing screams on the anthemic "Jane" or the clipped vocals in "Blah Blah Blah." Their songs are simply constructed yet expertly weighted, crackling with an intense energy. They're vital and pertinent and have a strong sense of urgency, one that's bound to get them noticed." –James Rettig, Stereogum Dogs on Acid A band just like any other band. Four dudes, you've seen 'em around in flannel and jeans, get their drink tickets, tune their strings one at a time just like the last guy but, play music like dogs on acid. free cake for every creature Free Cake For Every Creature is Katie Bennett. For “Pretty Good”, Katie Bennett spends time in the basement with bandmates/BFFs to turn her bedroom pop songs into scrappy twee ditties. Get tickets: http://ticketf.ly/18OfUGm