3.3 A wknd w/ Karma Brigade

The Icelandic band on synth-shopping, high-fiving the Statue of Liberty and their 3-show NYC mini tour THIS WEEKEND

Mar 03, 2023

Do you feel that? In the air? March is here, but it got noticeably ~cooler~ in NYC this week due to the arrival of KARMA BRIGADE, a band of Icelanders who touched down in the city for a three-night run of shows this weekend:

3.3 @ EWEL w/ Di Ivories, The Thing - RSVP here
3.4 @ Our Wicked Lady w/ Couch Prints, Atlas Engine, Wetsuit, Sandile - tix here
3.5 @ Arlene’s Grocery w/ Ilithios, Jelly Kelly, Color Tongue - tix here

Ahhhhh… allow us to take a moment to revel in how unbelievably sick those bills are...

Alright! There’s your who/what/where. Now, allow us to tell you why/how.

Back in November, I (Sam) bought a ticket to Iceland on impulse (fun n dangerous fact: Priceline lets you pay in installments!) (I’m actually still paying!!) (it was def worth it!!!) for Iceland Airwaves, a dreamy fest taking place at various venues in downtown Reykjavik that I later recapped in a blog post which ended up being only like 4% music-related and 96% general holy-shit-Iceland-is-insane-we-should-all-move-there kinda content. (TLDR: It’s a 5-star fest.)

Of the highlights of my trip—and there were many!—one of the biggest was the evening when, shortly after catching a packed show at a record store, I wandered into bookstore/bar/venue/heaven Hús máls og menningar, where I grabbed a glass of white wine, perched on a second-floor stool and then tried my best not to fall over the balcony and squash the patrons seated below as I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the band set up and playing on the stage in front of the shelves…

sam_sumpta

A post shared by Sam Sumpter (@sam_sumpta)

Which, of course, was Karma Brigade.

As mentioned in the BdBK book, I do not enjoy things casually orrrr quietly, and along with the woman across the street with the cool shoes and the chef who made the best sandwich I’ve had since that panini in Portland back in 2015, when i discover a band that I love, I have no choice but to go up and shout lots of compliments in their faces. Then, shortly thereafter, do all I can to share them with the (my) world. SO! In standard Sam fashion, after their set (check out vids here), I walked up and introduced myself, praised them furiously and did the whole IF YOU EVER WANT TO PLAY IN NYC… thing. Then, several weeks later, we had a nice lil cross-continental Zoom chat during which I managed to convince them that I am both semi-legit and 100% not a serial killer, and BOOM! Four months later, here we are!

Please believe me when I tell you these guys are very talented and very sweet, the former quality being quite evident below:

And as mentioned above, you have THREE opps to fall in love with them THIS WEEKEND (while simultaneously showing them how nice and supportive and cool our music community is!!!) in what is legitimately a LIMITED-TIME OFFER… because they’re flying back home to Iceland on Monday.

Anyways! Three shows is pretty much your entire weekend (you’re welcome!), but if you’re wondering what the Karma Brigade gang will be doing in the city when they’re off the stage, read on for an official Icelanders’ Guide to NYC™. Then, please then join us in immediately booking flights to Reykjavik, perhaps for the fest in November.

Between the five of them, we think we might be able to score a couch to sleep on…

[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]

Okay, let's go. Suuuuper excited to be in New York! Most of us have never been there so this will be interesting…

NYC Weekend bucket list:

Meeting and getting to know all the wonderful people we will be playing with.
Playing great shows at 3 very cool venues.
Not getting lost.
Eating at Joe's Pizza or Grybos (guitar) will not be happy.
Synthesizer store (we are obsessed with synths)
No cooking will be involved - we want to taste as many new foods as possible here!

We have actually wanted to go and play in the US for a long time so it's such a great feeling that we will actually be heading there!!!! This text will not provide you with any groundbreaking tips for stuff to do in New York since we are not from here but you’ll hear all about how we think our trip will go:

FRIDAY

We got to New York in the evening two days ago. After hauling our stuff from the airport to the tiny studio Airbnb apartment we have finally settled in. Yesterday we ran errands, and a couple of things we had to sort out for the weekend which ended in Target (I know, the ultimate New York experience…)

Today we won’t get a lot of sleep but the excitement being here keeps us going. We start the day early and figure out how we get to the first venue. Before the gig we will head to Time Square and browse some stores and cafes (the good old tourist way). Tonight we´ll be playing @ East Williamsburg Econo Lodge! A very cool DIY venue in Brooklyn. Tonight's show features The Thing, Di ivories, and us. Super exciting to see them perform. After the gig, some of us will grab a drink and go out to see the city at night time. High-fiving the Statue of Liberty is on the to-do list and a late-night burger is on the menu tonight.

SATURDAY

Today we wake up early again because of jetlag and a 5 hour time difference. (everyone except for Jóhann who will probably sleep until noon if we know him correctly). Everybody will have finally settled in by now and the mornings will start to feel like mornings instead of noons. Fortunately, nobody has snored through the night yet so we will have gotten a good night's sleep this far (apart from having to get used to noise from the streets, the nights in Iceland are usually quiet). We have another gig tonight @ Our Wicked Lady with Couch Prints, Atlas Engine, WET SUIT and Sandile. We are super excited to get to know these other bands and explore the music scene here in NYC. As much as we love Iceland, the music world there is very limited and small so for us to come here is a great opportunity. Before tonight’s gig, we will have an amazing time parachuting from the top of the Empire State Building and swimming in the East River. If that doesn’t work out we will probably find some cheap coffee and hang around in Central park. Then after the gig, we will go back to our crib. The plan is to spend as little time as possible in the Airbnb and use all the time we can use to explore the city.

SUNDAY

Today we sleep in, then go for some coffee and head out for a stroll. The mission for today is thrifting and checking out music stores in the area. If there is one thing a few of us have been excited about in NYC it is to see the fashion and explore some thrift stores and second-hand stores. The boys have not stopped talking about checking out some guitars (At least Grybos). The last time Grybos visited the US he came home with a new electric guitar so we have been joking about making that a tradition. We are also very fond of synthesizers and have been dreaming about going to a synth museum/store so that is definitely on the to-do list. (there is actually a synth store just a few blocks away!!) Today we will play the last gig of the mini-tour @ Arlene’s Grocery with Ilithios, Jelly Kelly and Color Tongue. Fun fact we heard about Arlene’s is that a known Icelandic band called Dikta actually played there back in 2007 before becoming known so we're excited to follow in their footsteps (although the lead singer in that band has become a dentist, trust us when we say that's something we will definitely not be doing.) After the gig, we will head out for a drink and a bite before heading to Sam’s place where she has kindly offered us to stay for our last night. Although tonight will be our last night, we have tomorrow morning for some touristy stuff before heading back home to Iceland. This trip has been such an amazing experience, we have got to know so many new amazing people and would LOVE to come back soon!

Until next time <3

Agla

Grybos

Steinunn

Jóhann

Hlynur

Itinerary above written + submitted by Karma Brigade. Follow the band at @karmabrigade and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!

Feature image provided by the band.

MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPEAKING OF ICELAND! (And aren’t we always?) Word has it the Icelandic government will refund 25% of expenses for those who record in their country, and you can learn more about it at the New Colossus panel ft. ~gourmet sandwiches~ and drinks during the festival — specifically, Friday, March 10 from 5:00-6:30 pm at Arlene’s Grocery. (And hey, while you’re there, you might as well stay for the BdBK x NC showcase, taking place immediately after.)
And SPEAKING OF NEW COLOSSUS! Stoked to share I (Sam again) (and always) have the privilege of participating in a panel — Navigating New Challenges in Live Music — hosted by Ditto Music on 3/9 at Piano’s. Come hang if you’re free!
ALSO: a note that if you are planning on buying a pass to the fest, you can use the code DITTO30 to get 30% off. Woo!
Is it Bandcamp Friday? YOU BET, BABY! Celebrate the most magical monthly holiday by bouncing over to your fave band’s page and buying some music and merch. + Shoot us a DM @bandsdobk showing us what artists you’re supporting and we’ll mail you some BdBK stickers to keep and/or deface a bathroom w/ on our behalf. WHAT A DEAL!!

RELEASE RADAR

New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:

“Sober Karaoke” // Extra Special

”Head in the Cloud” // O. Wake

“Need You Like” video // May Rio

“Sleepy Pie” video // Desert Sharks

'“What You Did” video // Hannah Jadagu

IT’S HAPPENIN’

Here’s a look at the events we’ve got coming up. Mark your calendars and come hang!

3.3-5 KARMA BRIGADE (our Iceland pals!) mini NYC tour:

3.3 @ EWEL w/ Di Ivories, The Thing - RSVP here
3.4 @ Our Wicked Lady w/ Couch Prints, Atlas Engine, Wetsuit, Sandile - tix here
3.5 @ Arlene’s Grocery w/ Ilithios, Jelly Kelly, Color Tongue - tix here

3.8 theSHIFT (single release), KALEN (album release), Pale Ramon, Reliant Tom @ Sultan Room - tix here

3.10 BDBK x NEW COLOSSUS FEST w/ My Son The Doctor, NEVVA, J. Pastel (all NYC) + Big Sea (Italy), Yo Diablo (Spain), Astronomies (Norway) @ Arlene’s Grocery - entry included in festival pass and tix for sale here