Beat the Grid

Opening for the band was a local Ithaca group by the name of Beat The Grid. The band had a similar upbeat feel with some added funk that warmed the crowd up nicely.Their beautiful female vocalist had the entire audience mesmerized by her smooth voice and exotic dancing. Beat The Grid’s set included fan favorite “Her Cosmic Lines” and many other tracks from their 2013 self-titled album, as well as some new songs. - Upstate Live

Opening the show will be Beat The Grid, a band formed in 2009 by Ithaca College freshmen and expanded a year later. BTG just released a music video for their first single, "Blues," shot at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Vocalist Hayden Eager tells us, "We have new songs from the last few weeks to debut -- one on a journey into a cave, another touches on psyche and architecture, villains and vantage points." - 14850 Magazine

Mentioned in 'Best Singer', 'Best EP' - Ithaca Journal

Being there, watching this band, I was immediately taken with the fact of how engaging they were with the audience. When they started playing, their vocalist, Hayden Eager, walked out on stage all bundled up in a Brooklyn Nets Cap, and green jacket (probably to commemorate St. Patrick’s day), it almost seemed that she was hiding who she really was, biding her time before revealing how her and the band really conducted themselves and their music. As the band progressed through their first song, she slowly took off her jacket, her every move seemed perfectly timed and calculated, completely in unison with the rest of the band’s rhythm. Moments later, she removed her cap, revealing beautiful dark, long – flowing hair; a real life siren if there ever was one. This seemingly sensual gesture appeared to be part of the band’s overall act, which appeared carefully thought out. Not only were they trying to convey a message with their lyrics, but they were also doing so with their physical movement and interaction on stage.

Hayden was really friendly and engaging with the audience, trying to make them participate with the band as they sang; having them crouch down on the floor as part of song she was doing, etc. However, with as open and warm as the band was with the audience, their admiration and caring for one another was clear. Their whole flow onstage seemed so perfect, and it was clear that they were having immense fun simply playing alongside one another. At one point, Hayden embraced and danced with Pat Murphy, as he played some rhythmic bass lines. It was those kind of simple gestures that seemed to make the band shine. Not only were they incredibly talented musicians playing great songs, they were having a great time doing it, and all that coupled together, helped fuel a great show for the audience to enjoy. Simply put, I loved the band and their music, and I really hope to see them perform live in the near future. - Culture Caffe

'Blues' featured in Top 10 Downloads of UK-based magazine.
- Independent Music News Magazine

“Stereolab, Brazilian Girls, and Prince Rama have been nodded at in reference–jammy instrumentals combined with music school compositional sensibility and powerfully dreamy pop-worthy vocals make for a shoegaze/experimental sound that is currently difficult to find. EXCELLENT Jazz Fusion.” - The Sirens Sound (blog)

After rocking out to a captivating performance by the eclectic indie group Beat the Grid at Brooklyn Bowl in May, we knew we had to do a feature on them....The name is a double or even triple-entendre, trying to “beat the grid” with certain lifestyle choices or philosophies, creating electronic music on a beat-grid system, and beating out celebration. - Alternative Citizen

An 8-piece wonder of the world who shook the ground and got down with some sexy, soulful, latin infused funk. - Fuse Magazine (IC)

Featured in annual Ithaca Music Awards for "Best Song" ('& Why?') and "Best Female Singer"
- Ithaca Journal