BALDI - emcee CASEY MCGUIRE - rhythm guitar BRIAN MCNEIL - lead guitar NICK KAMINSKI - drums CHRIS LIJOI - sax DAN RUFOLO - keys N.Y.C (Never Yet Contest) - emcee
Influences
Atmosphere, Soulive, Medeski Martin & Wood, The Roots, Blackstar (Talib & Mos), Phish, Bruce Springsteen, Sage Francis, Duke Ellington, Robert Glasper
Sounds Like
"Baldi & Suburban Graffiti, a 6 piece funk/jazz band from the suburbs of New Jersey, have managed to fuse their sound with a thoughtful conscious emcee, to create a new and unique sound that provides for an incredible live performance. Their shows take the instrumental solos and improvisation of a jamband meshed with the energy and aggression of an underground hip-hop concert, providing the world of modern music with a swift shot of adrenaline..."
VENUES PLAYED: Lion's Den - NYC / B.B. King's (main room) - NYC / The Crossroads - Garwood, NJ / The Dancing Goat - South Orange, NJ / Avalon - Boston, MA / Harper's Ferry - Boston, MA / Stone Pony - Asbury Park, NJ / Muhlenberg College - The Red Door - Allentown, PA / Union College - Chet's - Schenectady, NY / Here's To The Art's - Maplewood, NJ / Seton Hall University - South Orange, NJ / Harbor House - Gloucester, MA / Scotti's Record Shop - Gillete, NJ / Paradise Lounge - Boston, MA / Knitting Factory - NYC / Middle East (upstairs) - Cambridge, MA / Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ / The Hook - Brooklyn, NY / Endicott College - Beverly, MA / Nokia Theater (Times Square) - NYC
All Photos By CHRISTIAN GARIBALDI (GARIBALDI IMAGINEERING)
Bringing together the greatest, young musical minds that the New Jersey suburbs have to offer, Baldi & Suburban Graffiti have bum rushed the music industry with a mix of funk/jazz and hip hop unlike any put together before. The band takes notes from influential mentors that range from all genresfrom jazz to rock, jam bands to metal bands, funk to hip hop, and they use all such influences to put together live performances that continue to leave audiences in both shock and owe.
The project itself has been less than 2 years in the working (currently 2007), and already the group (which has gone through many transformations within that time) has played venues ranging from B.B. Kings in Time Square to the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, MA. The two constants throughout the growth of the project however, Casey McGuire (rhythm guitarist) & Baldi (emcee), spent much of their time in 2005 doing shows at a local bar/music venue in New Jersey, known as The Crossroads (Garwood, NJ) under the name Baldi & The Jones. When they didnt have scheduled gigs, they spent numerous nights doing 2 man acoustic sets at open mics throughout northeast New Jersey, trying to spread their message and sound to anyone that was there to listen.
In September 2005, the two met up with Nick Kaminski (drums). With only three solid members at the time, the group was offered an opportunity to play the Lions Den in the West Village of New York City, a club known for harboring up and coming acts in their infancy. With no reason to turn the show down, the three artists agreed and within a month had picked up 4 new members, Brain McNeil (lead guitar), Dan Flaherty (bass), Chris Lijoi (sax) and Dan Rufolo (keys), all four of whom remain in the group today. With nothing but their talents and a set list, this hastily established band took the stage on October 28, 2005 in front of over 100 people whom they themselves recruited to the club, and so was the birth of Baldi & Suburban Graffiti.
Within weeks, the group acquired the services of Monica Flanagan (vocals) and N.Y.C (emcee) to further enhance the bands live performances, while taking their songwriting to a whole other level. Together with a 9 person rhythmic army, the group expanded their fan base as well as their resume of venues played, and began work on recording their debut album.
Now complete, their first full length offering, Under The Weather: The NJLP, takes the bands raw energy and puts it to disc with 8 new studio recordings, and 2 live bonus tracks that are sure to leave listeners begging for more. The versatility of the band is displayed with each song, while the talent is evident with each word, chord and beat.
After building a resume of achievements that would typically take most bands over two to three years to acquire, Baldi & Suburban Graffiti continue to defy the odds of the industry and seem as though they will for years to come.
The conscientious emcee with a stiff delivery kicks some great lyrics, and has a potent live band to boost the sound. - New York Press
Awesome funky tracks!! And thanks so much for the add and supporting my music!
How's NJ treating you? I can’t wait to “funk up” The Baggot Inn in Greenwich Village NYC on Friday, April 11th – hope you can make it out! Keep in touch!
Thanks so much for supporting Sullivan Hall!
Come check out some of our great upcoming shows and feel free to check out our full calender at SullivanHallNYC.com!
