The Thing with Joe McPhee June 27, 2010

Epistrophy Arts is proud to present one of the most thrilling and exhilirating bands in any genre as we bring our 2010 season to a close on Sunday June 27 with the heavy-hitting Scandinavian group THE THING joined by special guest elder statesman JOE MCPHEE for their "Smoked Meat & BBQ Tour" that finds the band visiting their favorite Southern eating environs - the Smoked Meat Festival in Ville Platte, LA and Ruby's BBQ in Austin, TX - all while burning up southern stages with their take-no-prisoners punk-rock approach to free-jazz.

"Tapping into rock's most primal forces with a fire and fury that's something to behold" MOJO

"The Thing Convert nouveau punk and vintage garage-rock into a roaring scream up, but the sheer energy and love of the music keep gimmickry at bay" UNCUT

"The sheer power they can generate from wood, metal, breath and muscle is stunning" BBC

"Absurdly cool." DJ Magazine

Joe McPhee - reeds, trumpet
Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten - bass
Paal Nilssen-Love - drums
* saxophonist Mats Gustafsson will not be joining the group on this tour because of a family emergency.

about The Thing:

Free Jazz ecstasy meets Garage Rock Intensity. Scandinavian power trio The Thing blends the spontaneity and imagination of classic free jazz with the emotional immediacy of underground garage rock. With acoustic traditional jazz instrumentation, the three young Scandinavians can match the power of the fiercest rock band. The Thing's repertoire consists of 60's era new-jazz (Don Cherry, Ayler, James Blood Ulmer, David Murray) and reinterpretations of underground rock classics (PJ Harvey, White Stripes, Sonics, Lighting Bolt). This is no watered down jazz-rock. The Thing take the most uncompromising aspects of both genres and turn up the heat..

Individually and collectively, The Thing's genre defying spirit has led to collaborations with a wide range of today's most creative musicians including Jim O'Rourke, Thurston Moore, Otomo Yoshihide, Ken Vandermark, Peter Brotzmann and many others. In 2009 they released the critically acclaimed 'Bag It!' on Smalltown Supersounds recorded by veteran indie rock engineer Steve Albini.

The Thing are joined for this concert by living legend Joe McPhee. The infinitely versaitile American multi-instrumentalist is a veteran of the 60's New York "Fire Music" that is at the heart of The Thing. In his lyrical and soulful playing lies the true cry of the blues. McPhee is one of the most in-demand artists in Jazz and an authentic and vital messenger of its radical avant-garde.

Official Website: http://www.epistrophyarts.org/