Madame Brown

Saint John based promoters gear up for NB's hottest New Year's Eve bash.

New Year's Eve is the biggest party night of the year and Saint John party-goers can expect one of the biggest parties in recent memory to bring in 2007 with style and funk. New Year's Eve at the Gothic Arches caps off an ambitious year of event promotion by Saint John based Lefty Productions. Over the course of 2006 Lefty Productions ventured into the summer festival market with Sunseekers Ball, a three-day music festival. Halloween at the Gothic Arches, a spectacular costume party had revellers dancing into the wee hours with music supplied by headline act, the Wasabi Collective. With the upcoming New Year's show featuring Toronto 9-piece funk collective, Lefty Productions are ready not only for a fantastic night of music but also to a coming year that may see the company and the local scene take the next steps to the future. Whatever that may be.

Jay Peters is using the New Year's theme not only to create an unforgettable night of music, dancing and all around good vibes, he's also using the turn of the calendar page to look into what lies ahead for Lefty Productions and the people who attend their events.

"We've got some pretty big things planned for 2007," Peters tells us over coffee at Java Moose. "We're hoping to secure some bigger venues like the Imperial Theatre. We'll also have some more Gothic Arches shows and maybe even some arenas if we can hook the right talent." That may mean looking outside of the so called "jam band" arena that has been very good to Lefty over the years. Banking on their clients' varied musical tastes, Peters and the rest of the Lefty crew are exploring their options.

"That's (jam bands) where we've been focusing our energies on over the past few years but in 2007 we're looking to expand on that. We're hoping to bring in some pretty big name jazz acts and some more pop type music as well."

Crowds at Lefty events have been steadily on the increase and word has been spreading out among music fans that these events are by and for people who are first and foremost, music lovers. Lefty events are now becoming destination converts with tickets purchased not only in the Greater Saint John area but in Fredericton, Moncton, St. Andrews, Montreal and Maine. Jay Peters maintains the key to the success of the operation is treating ticket holders as guests as you would in your own house. Show them a good time, be a good host and everybody will be happy.

"When you walk into our shows you'll be astounded by the light and laser show," he says, "by the stage props and of course the musicians. It's also the room, the atmosphere, the vibe. Our shows are a collective type of thing, you can feel a connection between everybody there. There are no bad apples, just a lot of positive energy and everybody is having fun. Every single person."

Musically, New Year's Eve at the Gothic Arches will be funky, if not as Peters puts it, "fun". Headlining the night is Toronto 9-piece funk ensemble King Sunshine. With two full-length recordings under their collective belts, King Sunshine have been packing dancefloors and festivals with their brand of funk and soul with a heaping helping of disco.

Musically the group ties together old school funk and disco with house and drum and bass. The group has been making a name for themselves at danceclubs and festivals across Canada and were a hit at this summer's Evolve. News of their coming to Saint John for the first time spread like wildfire in the music community and as excited as local fans are about what will surely be an unforgettable evening of music and dance, the band themselves are stoked to be playing at such a unique event as Jay Peters reveals.

"They've heard about our events and they are pretty excited to be coming down here to play. They've heard about the venue, about what an amazing place it is to play and how everybody enjoys themselves at our shows. I get an e-mail or two from the band leader telling me how pumped they are about coming and that they are putting together an amazing set with some new material. They're really excited."

Visually, New Year's Eve at the Gothic Arches will be taking cues from the headline act with a nod to the past. With roots deep in funk and disco, Peters hints that suitable design cues will be employed when decorating the Gothic Arches for the big night.

While usually straying away from the traditional, Lefty Productions promise a traditional New Year's countdown but also hint at some striking visuals to go along with it.

Getting the party started are two Nova Scotia based bands, Halifax's Dr. D'Funkt and New Waterford's Madame Brown. Led by scene veteran Kamran Abdi (Dr. Yellowfever and the Jive) Dr. D'Funkt fuse disco, funk, hip hop and rock. Live shows have been described as "the missing link between Prince and Guns and Roses." Dr. D'Funkt has recently released their second full length CD.

Opening the show will be newcomers Madame Brown. While relatively young, the group explores musical landscapes as far ranging as house, trance, psychedelic and punk. It's the group's first foray into N.B. and they've picked a good bill to do it on.

Music fans and artists alike are embracing the opportunity to attend events like New Year's Eve at the Gothic Arches, the corporate community has also jumped on board. [here] Magazine, Moosehead Light, 97.3 and the Wave have offered valuable sponsorship to the event as well.

While Peters and the rest of the Lefty Productions crew are working to ensure the best possible New Year's experience for their patrons, they're looking to those attending to bring their community spirit along with their dancing shoes.

Praising the work that Romero House does for the community, Peters is asking that everyone who attends bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to Romero House.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door and are available at Backstreet Records, both Mr. Music locations, Cummings Convenience in St. Andrews and online at www.leftyproductions.com. Now there is no excuse to be staying home in front of the TV watching Dick Clark.
- Here Magazine(Saint John)

Cape Breton’s Madame Brown (not to be confused with the Montreal production company of the same name) will be toting its grab bag–music around the East Coast this summer. Classifying the unclassifiable, Madame Brown considers itself rock, psychedelic, and electronic all at once. Perhaps this is due to the band’s varied influences, citing both The Clash and Daft Punk as two, or maybe it is simply because the band was formed with the only goal of making people dance.

With no album in sight, Madame Brown thrives on live performances, where improvisation always ensues. The single “The Housesitter,” off its 2006 demo, features post-punk electro-accents above a repetitively snaky guitar riff and death-disco beats, calling to mind a younger Controller.Controller minus the vocals. “Anndowne,” on the other hand, features wailing guitars overtop a trance-like beat, perhaps a clash between 70’s psychedelic rock and Jeff Buckley.

With a fan base primarily in the Maritimes, the guys of Madame Brown are sticking to what they know and exclusively touring the East Coast, with late summer shows scheduled in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec.

If you’re up for a casual bar night that could end up putting you on the dance floor, then check out Madame Brown at a watering hole near you. For a complete list of tour dates, visit Madame Brown’s MySpace at www.myspace.com/madamebrownmusiconline.

- Gloss-The Fashion Magazine

Madame Brown is a five-piece band from Cape Breton. One would think they have east coast flare, wearing cowboy boots and smell like the sea. Instead, Madame Brown sounds like the bastard child of Lenny Kravitz and Jamiroquai. This quintet laid down some sweet funk with heavy bass lines, deep grooves and break ya neck boppining. Madame Brown sounds as if they should be relocated to a sexy lounge in New York City or Chicago. The band almost has an identity problem, can’t seem to figure out if they want to be groove/funk/rock.

It is evident in his playing and intensity that keyboard player B.J. Grechuck is a fan of Ben Folds. For such a relaxed sound, the band as a whole is tighter than a pair of your little sister’s jeans. Crowe’s voice comes off as in a dream during “The Collectors”, soothing and melodic. This song is a throw back to early Tea Party heavy on the bass and psychedelic sounds. Percussionist Blaise Poirier adds to the sexy slick sound beating precisely in time and seems as if he would be comfortable in a Cuban jazz band.

The band consists of: Mark Crowe (guitar, vocals), Vince MacDonald (bass), Cyril Roach (drums), B.J. Grechuk (keyboard), Christopher Blaise Poirier (percussion: tongas/bongos).

Set list: “In Search Of…”, “The Collectors”, “The Housesitter”, “She Ain’t Scared”, “Anndowne” and “Annedowne2”.

- Torontoindie.com

Madame Brown Summer Tour
By Administrator


Hailing from Cape Breton, the Madame Brown band will get you dancing. So if you love drums, electronic music and dancing your asses off, check out Madame Brown
- theamplive.com