Out in support of their highly-anticipated forthcoming third full-length, Terraformer, New Jersey prog rock outfit Thank You Scientist are set to return to town tonight, May 10 to headline Exit/In. The genre-bending outfit will be joined by two equally eclectic groups, New York poppy alt-jazz outfit Kindo (formerly The Reign of Kindo) and Philly prog rockers In The Presence of Wolves, making for one stellar bill for fans of technical, progressive, jazz and metal infused, and unique rock. Tickets are still available right here, so snag ’em now and read on for more about the show!
THANK YOU SCIENTIST
The origins of Montclair, New Jersey’s Thank You Scientist can be traced back a decade, to guitarist and bandleader Tom Monda’s time at Montclair State University, where he and a few friends and now-former bandmates bonded over a shared love of Frank Zappa, Harry Nilsson, The Beatles, and Mahavishnu Orchestra, and decided to form a group. Vocalist Salvatore Marrano joined shortly thereafter, and, along with Monda, has remained an anchor amidst some lineup changes over the years. Adopting a progressive, metal and jazz infused rock sound, the band self-released their first EP, The Perils of Time Travel, in 2011, and their first full-length, Maps of Non-Existent Places, the following year. Earning some early buzz, the group caught the attention of Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez, who signed them to his Evil Ink record label, and subsequently re-released their first LP in 2014. Landing on the Billboard Hard Rock and Heatseekers charts, and earning praise from outlets like Revolver, Thank You Scientist saw a quick uptick in critical and commercial interest, soon landing on the road in support of Periphery, and, later, Coheed. A more cohesive and experimental effort, the band’s sophomore LP, Stranger Heads Prevail, arrived in 2016, with their highest rate of personnel change during the subsequent tour cycle (the lineup is now rounded out by electric violinist Ben Karas, bassist Cody McCorry, drummerJoe Fadem, saxophonist Sam Greenfield, and trumpet player Joe Gullace). Since then, they’ve been hard at work on a followup, and continuing to make ripples in the prog world and embark on tours with the likes of Protest the Hero, Devin Townsend, and Yes, with their third full-length, Terraformer, finally slated to arrive next month, June 14. Hear a new tune below, then see the band in action in support!
KINDO
Formerly known as The Reign of Kindo, and, since last year, now just Kindo, the indie, progressive, jazz, pop, and alternative rock outfit first formed in Buffalo in 2006, and are now based in New York City (where their many members have their hands in a variety of musical and non-musical creative endeavors beyond just the group itself). A band who’ve remained committed to operating fiercely DIY- a trait not uncommon in the punk world, but less seen in progressive jazz pop- Kindo released their first EP back in 2007, and have spent the time since touring the world, crafting a string of great releases, organically growing a fanbase, earning critical praise, and expanding their lineup (which now counts a dozen members). They’ve been especially prolific in recent years, funding their music through crowd platform Patreon, where they’ve written and produced a song a month, provided as an early release to contributing fans at least a year before appearing on a formal album (last year’s Happy However After LP was, notably, made up of tracks first distributed through Patreon). With their piano-driven, layered, alt jazz sound and pop accessibility, Kindo are a band unlike any other making music today, and while they don’t quite veer into the metal-adjacent or conventionally prog rock sounds of Thank You Scientist, they’ll still be a perfect musical compliment to the fans of weird and technical songwriting.
IN THE PRESENCE OF WOLVES
Based out of Philadelphia, In the Presence of Wolves are a metal and jazz infused progressive rock outfit who formed in 2009, springing from an idea that had been brewing in the minds of bassist Vini Stamato and guitarist Chris Capitanio, who wished to both challenge themselves creatively as artists, and to do something unconventional in the local rock scene. Though it took a few years to get the band off the ground, faced with a series of setbacks and side projects, the addition of drummer Mason Ingling and guitarist Jim Ellis helped cement the group’s lineup, who released their debut, Thalassad, arrive in late 2014, experimenting without labels or expectations as they embraced the freedom of prog, and explored their sound. After a few years of buzz, the band really made a strong introduction and attracted broader attention with their more cohesive and experimental 2017 EP, Of Two Minds, Stages 1-2: The Ape And The Cage. An obvious fit to open this tour, fans of either other act on the bill will definitely want to show up early!
Thank You Scientist, Kindo, and In The Presence of Wolves will perform tonight, May 10 at Exit/In. The show is 18+, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $18.