THE NEW YORK CONCERT AT KNITTING FACTORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York co-presents the Montreal (Oct 14) & Toronto (16 & 17) concerts of Nightlosers, a Transylvanian band that stretches the limits of American blues, R&B, Romanian folk and traditional Gypsy music. The concert at the Knitting Factory on Sunday, October 19, 7:30 pm has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
What you should know about Nightlosers Nightlosers is a Romanian blues-ethno-rock band renowned for their ability to find common roots between American blues, Irish country-rock and genuine Eastern European folk. Their sound is chameleonic - a measured blend of passion and irony – mastering sound devices from overdriven guitar to poplar leaf – with a good dose of Transylvanian temper.
Film director & musician Hanno Höfer created Nightlosers in the Transylvanian city of Cluj in 1994. Coincidentally, the band members, all Romanian born, have different ethnic roots – German, Hungarian, Gypsy.
The Nightlosers are known for their unusual tricks performed on violin and guitar. Their gigs often include a mix of Romanian gymnastics on other sound devices such as poplar leafs and ceramic waterbirds mixed with plum brandy to inspire what they call the "Groove Distillery". They can play their instruments behind their backs, around their necks or suspended in mid-air as if it were the most natural thing to do.
Dealing with American Piracy – the Transylvanian Way The Nightlosers irreverently claim that songs like Blue Suede Shoes, Shame, or Sophisticated Mamma are traditional Romanian folk songs that have been "stolen" and made famous by American musicians. Therefore, Nightlosers' mission (besides finishing that plum brandy) is to play the original version and to put things straight in the history of music. They will tell you that unfortunately the "theft" had such a huge impact worldwide that, to win the songs back, their mission requires them to sing in English as well.
What the critics say: "On summer holiday in Transylvania, I expected the occasional brush with local folk music in one form or another. I certainly didn't expect to discover a band playing the most bizarre combination of blues, R&B and eastern European gypsy music I've ever encountered in all my days as a music critic. But that's what happened to me… One thing I know for sure: put them on at the next Meltdown series and [Nightlosers will] steal the show." - Keith Shadwick, The Independent
Members Hanno Höfer – vocals, guitar, harmonica, washboard, etc.
"El" Lako Jimi – violin, trumpet-violin, guitar
Tavi "Barila" Andreescu – bass
Geza Grunzo – keyboards
Ovidiu Condrea – drums
Nucu Pandrea – leaf, waterbird
Aladar Pusztai - cimbalom
TUE, Oct 14, 9 pm LA SALA ROSSA
4848 St-Laurent, Montreal
THU & FRI, Oct 16 & 17, 9 pm SILVER DOLLAR
86 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
www.nightlosersincanada.com
CANCELLED - SUN, Oct 19, 7:30 pm KNITTING FACTORY
74 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10013
Tel: 212-219-313274
More about Nightlosers
