The Electric Boogaloo

Artist Information

Biography

The Electric Boogaloo is a 6-piece funk/progressive/fusion band that has been evolving in the Chicagoland area since 2004. In this time, the band has created a concert experience that speaks to people of all ages and cultures through rhythm. The music is visceral, yet intellectual, mixing complex arrangements and harmonies with funk inspired grooves and smooth textures. All of these qualities, as well as a penchant for improvisation lend The Electric Boogaloo an edge in today's music scene, opening channels for mutual exchange between the audience and the performer. Their compositional techniques illustrate a deviation from symmetrical "Rock" and "Pop" stylings, directly opposing the idea that there is a set formula for musical enjoyment. The Boogaloo strives to institute a paradigm shift within the "jam" genre by consistently changing the perception of how a band must operate and communicate with its audience.

In the last year The Electric Boogaloo has seen significant progress; making it's first festival appearances this past summer (Whippersnap, Cosmic Railroad Family Gathering, Jammin' on the Wolf & Shoe Fest).

They've shared the bill with regional acts such as Mr. Blotto, This Must Be The Band, and Family Groove Company, as well as national touring acts Future Rock, The Big Wu, Great American Taxi and The Kyle Hollingsworth Band. Furthermore, the Boogaloo has also been playing at many reputable venues all across Chicago such as Mayne Stage, The Kinetic Playground, The Abbey Pub, Reggie's Music Joint, Subterranean, Beat Kitchen and The Double Door.

The addition of both a second keyboardist and a second guitarist have provided for a greater level of complexity and specialization within the music. The debut of the 6 piece Boogaloo at the 2011 Summer Camp: On The Road Tour at the Abbey Pub in Chicago drew a rave review from ChicagoJamScene.com which can be found here:

http://www.chicagojamscene.com/2011/03/3311-electric-boogaloo-old-shoe-raoul.html

As a new era in the world of The Electric Boogaloo begins to unfold, the band is looking to expand their dedicated fan base locally and regionally.

Instrumentation

Alex Blackshere - Drums
Michael Cantella - Bass
Doug Ferdinand - keyboards, Synthesizer
Neal O'Hara - keyboards, Synthesizer
Mike Sonnefeldt - Vocals, Guitar
Igor Voltchenko - Vocals, Guitar

Discography

Live @ Mayne Stage Theatre (11/23/2011)

1. Gineal>
2. Happy Robots
3. I Robot>
4. I Wouldn't Wanna Be Like You
5. Reasons>
6. Ace
7. Left Me Here
8. Sigmund>
9. A Familiar Place>
10. Sigmund


Live @ Reggie's Music Joint (6/27/2011)

1. Strangejuice>
2. The Hungarian
3. Kravit>
4. Risk>
5. The Cruise
6. Sigmund
7. Down On Me


"2010 Sampler" (2010) - Recorded at Dubvox Studio Services
www.dubvox.com

1. Kravit! {6:10}
2. Down on Me {4:38}
3. Sigmund I {3:41}
4. Sigmund II {6:48}

Official Website

http://www.boogaloochicago.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• The Electric Boogaloo's YouTube Channel

Audio

• Sigmund
  Listen   Download
• Ace
  Listen   Download
• Strange Juice-
  Listen   Download
• The Hungarian-
  Listen   Download
• Down on Me-
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Down on Me
• Strange Juice

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• 3.3.11 | The Electric Boogaloo, Old Shoe, Raoul Duke, Barefoot Fred, Elfkowitz [+ Show ]
  

  Words & Photos by Frazier "At this point, I honestly would have had a difficult time voting. All ...Words & Photos by Frazier
  
  "At this point, I honestly would have had a difficult time voting. All three of the bands I had seen were all fantastic in their own way. But the final band would clear things up for me in a hurry...
  
  For up last was The Electric Boogaloo. And even although I had never seen one of their shows, I felt like I had a good grasp on the quality of their sound just based on the fact that I have seen most of the members play in other bands that I enjoy. But for my taste, this was the finest performance I had seen from any of these guys yet. This was simply the most robust, mature, and well-developed sound of the evening. They had this prog rock-upon-jamband energy that was incredible to me. Mike Cantella and Alex Blackshere laid down the bricks of the foundation-- solid, dense, and ready. Then Doug Ferdinand and Neal O'Hara filled in all the crevices--and even laid out some nice landscaping--with their keys/synths. But then, the guitar duo of Mike Sonnefeldt and Igor Voltchenko showed up and just built the whole fucking house. A mansion too. Barefoot Fred and Old Shoe both had fantastic dual guitar mingling. But Boogaloo was on a completely different planet. Sonnefeldt and Voltchenko had pinpoint chemistry and created supreme harmonies that towered over the crowd like some mythical beast. I'm reticient to say this--and I don't dare invoke the names of the masters without good reason--but these guys had a Bayliss-Cinninger type of thing going on.
  
  About three quarters of the way through their set, after I snapped myself out of a jammed-out stupor, I turned around to cast my vote. Everybody had been awesome; there seriously wasn't a bad apple in the bunch. I thought all of the bands could certainly play at Summercamp, but in my eyes, there was one clear winner... and they were the ones still playing. The Electric Boogaloo won my vote emphatically, and frankly, I thought for certain they were going to win. But when the announcer crowned Barefoot Fred the winner, I was momentarily shocked. And then I remembered... their fans came out in droves to stuff the ballot box. Which isn't a bad thing. I voted differently, after seeing all of the bands, but I'm stoked for Barefoot Fred. They were very good and I think they will fit in perfectly at Summercamp. And now I will try even harder to catch their set!"

Setlist

Generally, we prefer the length of a set to be 45-90 minutes, but we are able to play any length of set needed.

A more recent set would consist of original songs such as:

"Ace" (Available for listening/download)
"Sigmund" (Available for listening/download)
"The Hungarian"(Available for listening/download)
"Strangejuice" (Available for listening/download)
"Down On Me" (Available for listening/download)
"Heezer Butler"
"The Cruise"
"Kravit!"
"Left Me Here"
"A Familiar Place"
"Reasons"
"Gineal"


We also always like to add in a few covers when we play live, but we try to make an effort to play different covers at different shows. In the past we have covered songs like:

"Doin' It" - Herbie Hancock
"Gentle Thoughts" - Herbie Hancock
"Reverb" - Soulive
"River People" - Weather Report
"Black Market" - Weather Report
"Teen Town" - Weather Report
"Air Blower" - Jeff Beck
"Happy Robots" - Jean-Luc Ponty
"Shape Up Your Mind" - Jean-Luc Ponty
"Good Guys, Bad Guys" - Jean-Luc Ponty
"Tarantula" - Jean-Luc Ponty
"Filthy Habits" - Frank Zappa
"Pound For A Brown" - Frank Zappa
"Dizzer" - Lettuce
"I Robot" - The Alan Parsons Project
"I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" - The Alan Parsons Project
"Red Baron" - Billy Cobham
"Q" - Brothers Johnson
"Kelpers" - John Scofield

Basic Requirements

Calendar