Conspiracy of Beards: CD Release Party for San Francisco’s 30-Man Leonard Cohen Choir May 3, 2008

On Saturday, May 3, Conspiracy of Beards, San Francisco’s rough and ready 30-man a cappella group who perform exclusively the songs of Leonard Cohen, will host a CD release party at the Make Out Room. The CD features original arrangements of five of their (er, Leonard’s) most popular songs, and will be available at the show. Helping them to usher in their first recording effort will be Ben Grass and Barbara Garber, who arrive onstage armed with one acoustic guitar and two voices that harmonize into a hauntingly gorgeous landscape from another place and time.

Transforming Cohen’s simple melodies into complex 4- and 5-part harmonies, the group achieves a sound that is both robust and tender. One can hear influences of indie rock, jazz, gospel, barbershop, classical and even doo-wop in the unique arrangements the choir selects. Conspiracy of Beards has had a string of acclaimed performances at Bay Area venues, including Great American Music Hall, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Cafe du Nord, and just recently in New York at the Highline Ballroom, Bowery Poetry Club, and the Whitney Museum.

For more information on Conspiracy of Beards, along with excerpts from their new cd, check out www.myspace.com/conspiracyofbeards and www.conspiracyofbeards.com.

Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/conspiracyofbeards