DANCE.HERE.TOO with JellyBean Benitez Saturday, March 13 11:00PM 21+ TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
John "Jellybean"Benitez is nothing short of a forefather of discotheque selection, a multi-instrumental genius, and a chart-topping producer. After polishing his chops in the post-war South Bronx, he became a resident DJ at Studio 54 and the many genesis points of disco music. By the 80’s he was composing and producing artists like Debbie Harry, Sheena Easton, his erstwhile girlfriend Madonna’s first hits, as well as his own radio favorites “Sidewalk Talk” and “The Mexican,” which drew from his involvement with the cultures of hip-hop and latin music. Back when the word “re-mix” required a hyphen, he was one of the first to make an art form of retooling other musicians’ works. Some of the first official, label-sanctioned remixes were his, rehashing tracks by Afrika Bambaataa, Whitney Houston, The Pointer Sisters, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. In 2005 he was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame, and he currently owns and operates his own recording, producing and publishing imprints. His DJ sets betray his eclectic aesthetic, a mixture of deep house, classic disco, hip-hop, latin, electro and pop music, together making for a frenetic experience in dance that is intrinsically New York City.
Jellybean in 1979, talking about "a new kind of DJ; the club DJ."
Mark your calendar: the fiesty miss Amanda Blank is coming to Santos, joined by Mad Decent's newest protégé Maluca. Both ladies spit a smoldering combination of rap, electro, merengue, punk rock, pop and ghettotech, and their live shows boast everything from maracas to neon spandex.
Amanda has been rolling deep with the Philly collective of Santogold, Spankrock, and Diplo. Now, with her first NYC headlining gig, Amanda is poised to win hearts, ears, and attention. She first took the world by storm with her contribution to the track “Bump” from Spank Rock’s 2006 breakout album (and Radiohead favorite) YoYoYoYoYo. Her verse is a serious exercise in lyrical acrobatics as she effortlessly runs circles around the beat. She’s just as at home collaborating with Ghostface Killah and M.I.A. as she is with Britney Spears on Eli Escobar and Doug Grayson’s remix of the hit single “Gimme More”. Her songs have appeared on the HBO series Life Support and Entourage as well as CBS television’s CSI:NY. Blank signed to Downtown Records in 2007 and is releasing her debut, I Love You, on July 14, 2009.
The We Got Next Tour: Abyss, Asaad, Nelson Fowler, DJ's Maggie Horn and Shish Boom Bah Saturday, January 23 (TOMORROW) 6:00 PM 18+
The We Got Next Tour, brought to us by Undskovrd and Rictascale Records will be featuring the future in psychedelic, underground hip-hop sound. More than just your run-of-the-mill urban showcase, these artists are presenting new and creative spins on their artistic tradition. The bill stars Abyss, Asaad, and Nelson Fowler with DJ's Maggie Horn and Shish Boom Bah. For more on Abyss, see the below documentary:
______________________________________________________ Jonte, Cherie Lily, Aleister X, Bad Brilliance, Narcissister and DJ's Roxy Cottontail and Andrew W.K. Thursday, January 28 7:00 PM 18+ TICKETS HERE
JONTÉ One of the best kept secrets in the entertainment industry, Jonté is known to the stars as a virtuoso choreographer, able to bring out the beast in his clientelle, which includes Beyonce Knowles among others. As a solo act, he brings it on all fronts, executing the freshest moves while spitting the fiercest vocal heard. His unique urban fem style is shattering culture barriers and leaving liberation in its wake. Jonté on Myspace
CHERIE LILY Cherie Lily’s sound encompasses rock, electro, folk, classical, punk and opera. She is currently spearheading a genre called Houserobics that combines physical conditioning with the sound and exhilaration of nightlife. She is also known for her stint as guitarist and singer for the indie rock group FluRT. Cherie Lily on Myspace
BAD BRILLIANCE The street tough electro beats of Bad Brilliance are the perfect juxtaposition to his psychedelic stage presence. The visual elements to his bass-quaking performances are mind-expanding performance pieces often require audience participation and mock corporate aesthetics. Bad Brilliance homepage
NARCISSISTER The modern dancer cum (no pun intended) x rated performance designer, Narcissister is a full-time provocateur and menace to society. Incorporating aspects of burlesque with subversive and vulgar visual installments. Narcissister homepage
____________________________________________________ Hustler of Culture: THE FLACO NAVAJA SHOW with a live performance by Homeboy Sandman, special guest Lemon and The Rebel Ship DJ Crew Sunday, January 31st 8:00PM 21+
Flaco Navaja is living out all of our dreams, an actor for silver screen and stage, musician and one-man entertainment conglomerate. He is best know for his work as a spoken word poet, having hosted a residency at the Nuyorican Cafe and toured internationally with Def Poetry Jam. His guerilla approach to Sunday variety will feature the razor sharp wit of Homeboy Sandman, special guest Lemon, and cuts by The Rebel Ship DJ Crew.
QUE BAJO?! UPROOT ANDY and GEKO JONES with VJ SHANTELL MARTIN Thursday, January 21 11:00PM 21+
While certain talking heads bemoan the eclipsing of a white majority in the heartland, we at Santos are applauding the Latin and Caribbean invasion of electro. Que Bajo?! is the embodiment of the turning tides, a party that features the finest in cumbia, electro, dancehall and other heavily bassed tropical sounds. On the tables are residents Uproot Andy, of Argentina's globe-trotting ZiZeK crew, and Geko Jones, from the Dutty Artz family for riddim. Joining the will be VJ Shantell Martin, whose use of real-time light-drawing creates a unique and subversive atmosphere, perfect for the cutting-edge music.
