Holocene’s 20 Year Anniversary!; KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH, ANCIENT HEAT (REUNION SHOW), SHY GIRLS (DJ SET), GENEVIEVE D – 21+

To celebrate 20 years (and counting) of Holocene, we’ve crafted a series of events to showcase some of our favorite artists from near and far – those visionaries who inspire us, and those local loves who warm our hearts and make us proud. Tonight we present a performance from visionary LA based composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, a reunion performance from Ancient Heat (9 piece live disco band!), and DJ sets from dear friends Shy Girls and Genevieve D (of Nightclubbing).Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithKaitlyn Aurelia Smith is a classically-trained American composer, performer, and producer from the Pacific Northwest. Her music is a form of auditory interpretation, powered by curiosity and her toolkit of modular, analogue, and rare synthesizers (including her signature Buchla), orchestral textures, and voice. Since her first self-releases in 2012, she has explored the endless possibilities of electronic instruments and the relationship between sound, shape, color, body movement, and expression. Spanning releases on Western Vinyl, RVNG Intl., Ghostly International, and her own multidisciplinary project, Touchtheplants, her work has drawn acclaim from all reaches of the experimental music world, including NPR, The New York Times, The Wire, and Rolling Stone. The latter named Smith’s 2017 LP The Kid their avant-garde album of the year. Her collaborations include projects with Danny Elfman, Patti Smith, Emile Mosseri, King Gizzard , Suzanne Ciani, Anoushka Shankar and commissions for Apple, BBC Orchestra, Epcot Center, Google, and others. With Let’s Turn It Into Sound, her latest album on Ghostly, Smith moves through vibrant avant-pop and neoclassical songcraft, expressing a feeling that words alone cannot.Ancient HeatAncient Heat is a large ensemble dance band, formed in 2010 by composer and producer Brendan Grubb. The 8-piece powerhouse revels in an exhilarating mixture of west coast funk, disco and R&B, merged with infectious polyrhythms and a healthy dose of psychedelia. While they confess major affection for more mainstream disco divas, Ancient Heat’s orchestration is decidedly experimental and daring. In the world of Ancient Heat, disco is not a genre but a force of nature. As their name suggests, the band seems to have tapped into a secret primordial well of funky sensualism, working their alchemical magic for the dancefloor and making all that glitters into gold. In both their exuberant re-contextualization of classic works and their own inventive compositions, they convey an unpretentious style and a deep sincerity. This is a group with their feet on the ground, ditching the irony, egos, and iciness of more slick dance acts. Instead, they bring us a west coast approach, with an earthy harmony about them that recalls the deep awe of the forest more so than the glitz of the club. The group dresses in all white for their compelling live performances, leading the local press to label these magic-makers: “a cross between Abba and The Children of God.” It’s a spectacle of skilled musicianship and ecstatic theatrics that you’ll need to see to believe….”

Holocene’s 20 Year Anniversary!: INNER CITY (DJ SET), KIM ANN FOXMAN, BEN TACTIC & LEEONN – 21+

To celebrate 20 years (and counting) of Holocene, we’ve crafted a series of events to showcase some of our favorite artists from near and far – For this final evening, we end the festivities on the dance floor over our new Danley sound system with: Inner City DJ set, Kim Ann Foxman, plus local support from our friends and frequent collaborators at Spend the Night, Ben Tactic and Leeonn. The story of Inner City is intractably linked with its founder Kevin Saunderson, widely credited as one of the progenitors of techno and a landmark figure in dance music. The beginning of Inner City as a project came in 1987. The music Saunderson was playing and producing in Detroit at the time, alongside fellow The Belleville Three members Juan Atkins and Derrick May, laid the path for what came to be known as Techno, and birthed an entire global culture to follow. Inspired by marathon sets by pioneering DJs Ron Hardy and Larry Levan, Saunderson set out to break from the strictures of Detroit techno’s tracky, dark machine funk by adding vocals to his productions. Work with contemporaries at the time had led to a unique sound based on colourful keyboard chords and snappy drums. What followed was a whirlwind: “Big Fun” and “Good Life” dominated not only clubs but the charts, sweeping top 10s all across Europe, and starting a run of four consecutive No1s on the US Billboard Dance Chart. Their enduring popularity in club and radio rotation continues to this day, standing out as top-tier classics in the pantheon of modern music. Paradise, their debut album, went Platinum in the UK, setting in motion years of high demand on the live touring circuit, and spawning further hit singles such as “Ain’t Nobody Better,” “Do You Love What You Feel”, and 1992’s “Pennies From Heaven”. To the delight of fans, Inner City was revived in the early 2010s. New material was forthcoming, too: 2011’s “Fantasy”, 2014’s “Bad Girl” – featuring remixes from a then 21-year-old and fast rising Dantiez Saunderson, Kevin’s son and musical protege – and, most recently, “Good Luck” in 2017, with Danitez integrated as a full member of the group.Kim Ann Foxman, is a New York based artist, DJ and producer that continues to flourish by staying true to what she believes in. Between her dynamic DJ sets, productions and her latest band project, Pleasure Planet, ‘KAF’ has become a prominent and influential perspective in dance music. Moving to New York in the early 2000s, she became a staple DJ during a halcyon time in the city’s club scene, before teaming up with Hercules & Love Affair as vocalist for their first two highly acclaimed albums, that saw them become beacons and stars for the club world’s ever-shifting identity, going on to undertake multiple world tours, before eventually breaking away to follow her own adventures once more. Returning to her clubbing roots, KAF stepped from band to international touring DJ with aplomb. Utilizing all her music experience she is known for creating long dance floor journeys with a special psychedelic twist, playing to clubs and festivals around the globe, from her hometown residency at Brooklyn’s Good Room to her regular appearances at Berlin’s Panorama Bar, she’s become an icon to many, encompassing art, music and fashion.

The Mary Wallopers – w/ Sam Shackleton – 21+

Seven-piece band, The Mary Wallopers were formed by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna traveling the length and breadth of Ireland singing and collecting songs. Their early live performances exuded a raw energy and their self-titled first album perfectly captured their sound and ethos, one filled with warmth, intimacy, chaos and enough sparks ready to light any fire. They are working on a new album which will be released later this year.

John Carroll Kirby & Eddie Chacon – Presented by Holocene and Soul’d Out Productions -21+

Holocene is proud to partner with Soul’d Out Productions to bring you: John Carroll Kirby & Eddie Chacon John Carroll Kirby is a producer, composer and keyboardist from Los Angeles. Though Kirby’s background is steeped in jazz, his signature sound blends genres and styles. An in-demand collaborator for artists ranging from superstars Solange, Frank Ocean and Harry Styles to beloved indie musicians Connan Mockasin and Liv.e, and many more, Kirby has lately focused on his own prolific solo output, releasing five LPs on Stones Throw Records in a little over two years. My Garden (2020), a blend of jazz and exotica, was praised by Pitchfork, The Fader, LA Times, Q, and Mojo. The same year, Kirby released Conflict, a calming piano album in response to the year’s chaos. Following his first film score for the animated feature Cryptozoo, Kirby’s 2021 jazz-fusion release Septet marked a return to ensemble playing, while Dance Ancestral (2022) with additional production from Canadian artist YuSu, saw him take a more electronic-forward approach. Alongside these albums, Kirby has released episodes of Kirby’s Gold, a web series inspired by Huell Howser’s California Gold. In the series, Kirby chats and improvises with artists ranging from a painter to an Eastern European choir and Costa Rican calypso band. Most recently, Kirby received a Grammy nod for his work on Steve Lacy’s smash hit “Bad Habit”. Coming later in 2023 are Sundown, Kirby’s album-length collaboration with R&B singer Eddie Chacon, and a new solo album.Low-key R&B legend Eddie Chacon made an indelible mark in popular music as half of the duo Charles & Eddie, whose 1992 single “Would I Lie to You” was a number one hit heard around the world. The group’s 4-million-records-sold rocket to the stars lasted a few years, and Eddie spent the next couple of decades away from the music industry. He returned to music in 2020 with the release of “Pleasure, Joy and Happiness,” produced by John Carroll Kirby. In 2022 Eddie signed to Stones Throw Records and has since released two new singles “Holy Hell” and “Comes and Goes.

GOTH PROM! ft. Bad Juju (as Siouxsie & the Banshees), Lesser Demons (live goth cover songs set) + DJ Colin Jones- 21+

Holocene presents the 2nd annual: Goth Prom, an immersive tribute event featuring: Bad Juju (as Siouxsie & the Banshees)Lesser Demons (performing a killer set of goth cover songs)Plus goth bangers all night from DJ Colin JonesCostumes encouraged for the crowning of the Goth prom King and Queen!

Suzanne Kraft & Jack J (of Pender Street Steppers) – w/ DJs Jason Urick & Austin Tretwold – 21+

Jack J (Jack Jutson) of Mood Hut and Pender Street Steppers fame and Suzanne Kraft (real name Diego Herrera) will tour the west coast of North America in late June and early July. Last year, Jack J expanded the scope of his artistry with Opening The Door, an album encompassing bittersweet and chilled pop rock, dub, ambient recalling ’80s John Martyn, Arthur Russell, all the good stuff. A unique record in Jack’s catalogue, Opening The Door represented new terrain for a beloved artist, known for underground hits like “Thirstin'” as well as DJ and studio exploits as one-half of Pender Street Steppers and a core member of the Mood Hut collective. Now, he’ll perform the new songs live with a three-piece band for the first time. Suzanne Kraft has been on a parallel path over the past few years, following the release of his 2021 full-length About You, a record of exquisite shoegaze/dream pop songs adding to a nuanced discography spanning from avant garde minimalism to club bangers. This new, guitar-driven direction flourished on a 2022 nationwide tour with Cut Copy, as well as a live appearance at Dekmantel in Amsterdam. Now a seasoned live unit including guitarist John Jones (AV Moves, Geo Rip), bassist Scott Gilmore (a solo artist in his own right with released on International Feel and Crammed Discs) and drummer Colin Blanton (Brin, George Clanton), the band is out on the road again in support of a new 7-inch, Sometimes, with more recordings on the way. Jack J and Suzanne Kraft are old friends, with a shared background in west coast experimental dance music, DJing and, now, song-based forms. The tour will start in the Pacific Northwest, bookended by live shows and DJ sets in Jack’s hometown Vancouver as well as Herrera’s hometown in LA. Herrera and Jutson have shared similar music philosophies over the years, a live tour being a natural step for two vital, like minded artists.with local support from DJs Jason Urick & Austin Tretwold (Incidental Music / Galaxy My Dear)!

POP AND PUPPETRY #8!: The Apricots, Dakota Theim, Spooky Boys with live puppet show accompaniment! – 21+

Holocene presents…. POP + PUPPETRY #8 AN IMMERSIVE ONE-NIGHT, THREE-BAND LIVE CONCERT THAT DARES ASK THE QUESTION: BUT WHAT IF THERE WERE PUPPETS? The Apricots w/ PDX Puppet Collective Dakota Theim w/ puppeteers: Kelly Campbell, Liz Ghiz, Doug Dean, and Kaila Searl Spooky Boys w/ puppeteers: Allie Menzimer, Jeff Desautels, and Matthew Hopkins Holocene and Bogmonster Events present the 8th edition of POP + PUPPETRY, an interdisciplinary extravaganza for the eyes and ears! 3 puppeteer teams of diverse styles will be paired with 3 inventive Portland-based pop/rock groups. Each puppeteer will present an original puppet show created especially for this event and synced to the band’s music. The results should be dazzling, and help to elevate the experience of both artistic mediums when combined.

ARCY DRIVE

with special guests hey, nothingThis event is All Ages Click HERE to stay up-to-date on all Holocene Covid policies + information. OFFICIAL TICKETS:Etix is the official ticketing source and partner of Holocene.

Home Is Where – w/ Awakebutstillinbed, Your Arms Are My Cocoon – presented by Mammoth NW – All Ages

Florida band Home Is Where’s I Became Birds is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about fifth wave emo albums of the year, and it’s one of the most unique too. Dedicated “to anyone & everyone who has struggled / is struggling with their gender identity,” I Became Birds is only six songs long, but it feels complete, and it covers more musical ground in its brief running time than albums that are four times its length. Each song flows right into the next, as the album moves seamlessly between Neutral Milk Hotel style chamber folk, Dylan-esque harmonica-fueled folk, TWIABP-y post-rock, raw ‘90s-style screamo, driving Midwest-style emo-punk, and more, and it sometimes does two or three of those things at once. Tying everything together is vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Brandon Macdonald, whose unique, emotive voice and conversational yet contemplative lyrics add even more depth to these songs, and make for rewarding repeated listens.

Candi Pop – A bubblegum pop dance party – 21+ event

Genre: Concerts