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Upon moving to Manhattan to attend Columbia, I was so excited to finally live the nightlife I had always dreamed of. I couldn’t wait to see live music, soak in the jazz scene, and spend the night dancing to intoxicating rhythms and original beats. Then I got here and reality set in. I realized that I’d have to pay an arm and a leg just to get in the door, not to mention the two-drink minimum most venues shove down your throat. Two drink minimums were not a problem back when I worked full time. But now that I am a student, money is tight, and so is my budget for nightlife. I cringed at the thought of not taking in New York’s bevy of sumptuous offerings because I couldn’t afford a cab and admission. And sulked when I realized that the admission to Blue Note was more than what I could afford to spend for a week of groceries! Were the few nights not spent in the library studying going to be spent in front of the TV watching American Idol on Tivo? While this was perfectly fine back home, it felt wrong in a city as exciting as New York City. “There has to be a way for me to be entertained without emptying my bank account”, I thought as I paced my tiny apartment trying to quell my cabin fever.
Luckily I found a solution. Through friends that were already living in the city, I met a score of highly skilled musicians that are out there playing for pretty close to free. Here are people who went through four years of school, just like all of us, and have graduated only to find a lukewarm appreciation for live music in a city that practically invented it. With all of us starving students craving some real entertainment, it seems a shame that these musicians, who spent many years mastering their art, are not more well known. And it’s not for lack of talent. Back in their hometown of Buffalo, they pack bars and other venues with no problem. But here in the hustle and bustle of a big city it’s hard to spread the word.
The Band is named Thought and the venue is called Rose Live Music in Williamsburg. The cover is free (occasionally they charge a five dollar cover), and the drinks are inexpensive. Translation: you can get drunk for twenty bucks. Especially if you try the unusually potent sangria! On one Friday night, I enjoyed the best Cosmopolitan I’ve had in New York, heard some electrifying music, danced the night away, and left the bar asking myself one question: Why is it that people will give their first born for Justin Timberlake tickets, but won’t hop on the subway to Brooklyn to see some amazing, dance friendly, original live music? Considering the fact that New York is filled with broke under grads just trying to have a good time you would think original unsigned bands wouldn’t have a problem bringing in the crowds. “Where are the people who support live music?” I thought. Probably at home broke and drinking cheap beer like I would be if I were not dancing the night away.
When you go to Rose live music, you are not compromising entertainment value for cost. In fact it’s quite the opposite. For example, Thought is a high energy, extremely original band that truly enjoy what they do. Their collective pleasure spills out into the audience creating an electrifying atmosphere filled with good vibes. Fronted by a salient duo that is incredibly enthralling, they emit poetic and inspiring lyrics in a syncopated, bi-octave tone. And when I say inspiring, I don’t mean “do well in life” inspiring. I mean get up off your chair and have a good time—inspiring.
Mike Williams (AKA Miwi La Lupa) is the leader of this groove-creating machine. With all of the narcissistic front men leaning on their microphones with a “ look at me aren’t I cool?” attitude flooding rock clubs and overshadowing their music, Mike William’s happy go lucky spirit, and contagious smile is a refreshing tonic to a week of brain twisting studying. But it is his bass trumpet playing that is truly a treat to enjoy. There are no words to describe Miwi’s talent as a trumpet player. But what I can say is that when Mike Gordon of Phish stopped in to a gig they played in Buffalo and graced the stage for a couple of songs, he told Glide—an online magazine—that one of his three best personal onstage moments of 2004 was playing with Thought and that Mike was a great trumpet player. MiWi is the epitome of up and coming talent that should not be missed.
Accompanying MiWi is Lynn Ligammari on alto saxophone. While her falsetto back up vocals compliment Mike’s warm timber, it’s her saxophone playing interwoven with Mike’s bass trumpet that earmarks Thought’s original sound. There’s one word that describes this woman: passionate. And it translates into Thought’s overall charm and scintillating presence. Tucked behind Mike and Lynne are the power trio of Tim Allen on lead guitar, PJ Boeckel on Bass guitar and Jared Schonig on drums. The expertise of these three solid musicians is quite a tight package that churns out some seamless and serious funk. It’s the kind of f - Columbia Spectator Feb 10, 2007
"Thought are clearly an intelligent band, with an emphasis on lyrics, complex, poetic and dramatic."
Katie Vrabel - wburg.com (Apr 9, 2006)
- wburg.com
(taken from an interview with Mike Gordon of Phish)
3. your personal favorite on-stage moment/show of 2004
*final phish set at Alpine valley, june (loved)
* with band "Thought" in buffalo, sept. (was a tiny bar; felt good, great drummer and bass trumpeter
Mike Gordon - Ropeadope.com - ropeadope.com
Discography
Thought- "Politics for Kids" 2008
Thought- "Live" 2007
Photos
Bio
After eight years of sharpening their skills playing together as a band , Thought has played to thousands of people throughout the USA, Canada, and in the last three years focused heavily on the New York City scene. The band originated in the musically fertile crescent of Western New York, Buffalo to be exact. They played almost every music venue that the city of Buffalo had to offer, including numerous warehouse/loft parties, street fairs, weddings of friends, block parties, any bars that would have them, and all 6 years of the Rhubarb Family Picnic (a annual local music fesitval) and developed a homebase at the local haunt McGarrets, where their all-night dance parties became the stuff of legends. They played Buffalo and Rochester for about 5 years consistently, while the greater half of the band finished school at Eastman School of Music in Rochester. After they graduated, the band decided that if they wanted to reach a bigger audience, they had to take the next step and move to the big city. So in 2005 they moved to New York City and began carving out their new lives. Since moving to NYC, Thought has played consistently in Manhattan and Brooklyn, developing bonds with other bands and building a strong, family oriented scene with other like minded musicians, artists, dancers and people just looking to enjoy music... They have been playing many clubs in New York City (Knitting Factory, Nublu, The Bitter End, Zebulon, Baggot Inn, Tea Lounge, The Annex, etc) including a 6 month residency at Rose Live Music in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They have also returned home to Buffalo to play New Years Eve concerts the past 2 years getting over 600 people at each one, 2008's with Toronto's King Sunshine at one of the biggest,and definitely nicest, venue in Buffalo, The Tralfamadore. The members of Thought have both collectively and individually shared the stage with such notables as; Brazilian Girls, Mike Gordon (Phish), Medeski, Martin and Wood, Dresden Dolls, Nublu Orchestra, Eliott Sharp, El-P, Butch Morris, Antibalas, Kenny Wollesen, John Ellis, Ulu, Zozo Afrobeat, Jerseyband, Beyondo, Rhubarb, Pela, Lazlo Holyfield, Jon Nelson's Genkin Philharmonic, and many, many more. Aside from their numerous live shows Thought has recorded two studio EPs, and their most recent LP.
"Thought is a family. That is why their concerts are fun. That's also why their music is good."
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