OFFBEAT MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2012
Mike Dillon’s music is not your granddaddy’s bebopping, finger-snapping, shades and beret, too-cool-for-school jazz. It has an intensity and attitude taken from punk rock and a slightly dirty, loud sound that is found more on rock ‘n’ roll and electronica records. The songs have a deceptive complexity — they sound simple in that you can sing and dance to them, but they change textures and parts on a dime. Few musicians combine the chops and vision of Mike Dillon.
RESIDENT MEDIA PUNDIT
OCTOBER 2012
Equal parts inspiring, provocative and wholly infectious.
ALTSounds
SEPTEMBER 2012
On one hand he exudes the musical chops absorbed from countless hours spent with Milt Jackson records, on the other hand he thrashes about with visions of Iggy Pop hard-wired to his frontal cortex.
THE WASTER
AUGUST 2012
Dillon & Friends spread the fever with songs off his upcoming album Urn. The highlight of this show was the young Kim Basinger-looking trombonist dressed similar to a girl scout troop leader. On this night, the crowd saw how her instrument could help mold together transitions between opposing genres. From punk rock/ska to hip-hop with a two-step beat, this solo player equated an entire brass section, showing the crowd just how to blow without ever sucking (no pun intended. No, seriously, no pun.)
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CONGRATS Mike Dillon and The Mike Dillon Band for their 2012 OffBeat Nominations!!
• Best Other Instrumentalist
• Best Contemporary Jazz Artist
• Best Contemporary Jazz Album -> Urn - Mike Dillon Band
Mike Dillon (b. 1965, American) is one of the most dynamic and multifaceted percussionists in the country, best known for his unforgettable live performances, unorthodox percussion rig and distinct original sound. After emerging in late 1980’s as the first to lead a rock/funk band as a vocalist and vibraphone player, contributing to its evolution by his use of effects, Dillon has become well-known for producing genre-bending music that transcends categorization. Over the last 27 years, his creative song-writing and the repertoire of artists he has worked with - - on tour, stage or in the studio - - reveal his eclectic musical inspiration and skillful versatility. Artists such as: Les Claypool, Ani DiFranco, Polyphonic Spree, Brave Combo, Sex Mob, Galactic, Secret Chief’s 3, Karl Denson, Steven Bernstein, Charlie Hunter, James Singleton, George Porter Jr., Johnny Vidocavich and Bob Schneider. His individual projects include: Critter’s Buggin’, Garage A Trois, Billy Goat, Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle, Hairy Apes BMX, Malachy Papers, the Dead Kenny G’s, who regularly open for Primus, and his latest, The Mike Dillon Band.
As a touring musician and prolific song-writer, Mike Dillon has continuously pushed his distinct sound in new and inventive directions. On stage, Dillon is a powerful force, with boundless energy that hails a punk rock/hardcore edge and the seamless ability to play multiple percussive instruments at once. For nearly three decades, fans have been draw to Dillon’s organic style, creative musicianship and the way his music never fails to stir the crowd into a big dance party from start to finish. After taking a brief hiatus from solo projects, Dillon is back at the helm with his latest quartet, The Mike Dillon Band, which delivers a cache of his new songs, infuses fresh life into his classics, and features Mike Dillon (vibraphone, percussion, lead vocals), Adam Gertner (drums), Patrick McDevitt (bass), Johnny Durkin (congas) and Carly Meyers (trombone, vocals), whose raw talent, enthusiasm and infectious dance moves have created quite a stir among music goers in the past year.
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