These Sounds Lead The Way

High quality shirt from the esteemed Brooklyn DJ sound system, with styling original artwork by Adam Suerte (Urban Folk Art Studios). This is a limited-edition, pre-order sale running for one week and ending on February 27th. Shirts will ship 1-2 weeks after the sale ends.

Maximum Rock & Soul!

On sale now at the Dead Flowers online store.

Dead Flowers In Bloom!

Today we opened the Dead Flowers Productions' online store with the launch of a new clothing line from city archivists, Brooklyneeze. The shop will also sell new and used vinyl, CDs, periodicals, and other merchandise (music related and otherwise). Check it out here.

Dreams To Remember

Seeing our work in the "industry of human happiness" has hit a unfortunate long pause (end?) due to the pandemic and shutdown of venues, we decided to start uploading photos from past events we booked and promoted. Check them out at our Facebook page.

Photo: New Bomb Turks live at The Bell House, 2010

The Dark End Of The Street

Due to the pandemic and subsequent shutdown of music venues, Dead Flowers has unfortunately ground to a halt. It hurts us deeply to not do what we love, which is to produce live music events in New York City. We've been trying to hustle ways to be creative, and as such we are thrilled to announce that The Dark End Of The Street coffee, Mr. Lee of Dead Flowers Productions' collaboration with Oak & Crow Coffee Co. is now available! Without hyperbole, we can assure you that the coffee is delicious; and your purchase also helps support two small businesses during these very trying times.

Click to buy The Dark End Of The Street coffee

Things Are Going To Get Better

We hope all of our friends are holding up well and staying safe. We miss bringing you live music more than we can put into words.

Gonna Get Ya

The High Stride — featuring folks you know from other boss NYC-area bands — play no bullshit, maximum R&B. This is the third show from Dead Flowers' favorite new local band. The Piggies are a bunch of NYC scene veterans who have kicked around in dozens of bands including the Little Killers, the Sea Monkeys, Wighat, Sato & Jonny, the Haney Brothers, the Poolside Cowboys, Holy Crow, the Underthings, the Dirt Cheap, and more that they don't remember (and neither do you). Posessing an extreme distaste for show-biz hustle and self-promotion, but a non-negotiable need to roll & rock, The Piggies can be found playing out in various NYC-area houses of ill repute on a regular basis, putting pretend rock'n'roll bands half their age to shame, and occasionally opening for touring acts like The Detroit Cobras, Barrence Whitfield & The Savages, The A-Bones, Mr. Airplane Man, and so forth. The "Francophonique Tsunami" "Those Frilly Parisian Underthings" and "Seven-headed beast from the hard-scrabble streets of Menilmontant," Les Sans Culottes borrowed their name from the ill-clad (i.e., long-trousered) citizen- soldiers of the French Revolution. The band's sound is a melange of Gainsbourg, NY Dolls, Blondie, the Shirelles, and the Kinks. 

Saturday, May 2nd at The Gutter

200 North 14th Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 8PM. 21+ with ID. *

* canceled due to the NYC shutdown.

Friday Freakout!

Friday, April 10th at The Gutter

200 North 14th Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 8PM. $10 cover. 21+ with ID. *

* canceled due to the NYC shutdown.

You Must Believe Me

Modern Needs is a listening and dance party with special guest DJs and monthly musical themes, held at Banter bar, located in scenic Brooklyn U.S.A. The March edition features Modern Needs host and boss DJ Mr. Lee (Going In Style Sound System) and special guest Terry Dactyl (Wax On Tap) spinning top-ranking soulful sounds until the wee small hours!

Friday, March 20th at Banter

132 Havemeyer, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Kicks off at 10:30PM. No cover! *

* Canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent NYC shutdown.

Persistence

“A sprawling supergroup that combines the spacey atmospherics of dub with the brassy big-band soul of African pop.” - New York Magazine 

“It can’t be done, man!” That’s what Dave Hahn (The Slackers, The Stubborn All-Stars, Antibalas), mastermind behind Dub Is A Weapon, heard when he first floated the idea of a live dub group, as he and his mates listened to some prime 1960s King Tubby cuts in the band van. “Everyone seemed to think you could only do dub in the studio,” Hahn recalls. Hahn set out to prove them wrong, with skills learned live and on the road, and with help from a Jamaican beatnik percussionist, an old high school friend, and young upstarts from the Brooklyn scene. Together they’ve honed their live take on the genre’s spaced-out grooves, a sound felt in full force on their Vaporized album and on stage.

Soon Come is a project focused on bringing foundation reggae riddims to life using almost entirely analog equipment. 100dBs mixes and dubs the music live, creating a platform for New York's most talented singers and deejays to flex their skills on the microphone.

Friday, March 13th at The Gutter

200 North 14th Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 9PM. 21+ with ID. *

* Canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent NYC shutdown.

Time Changes Everything

C'mon and get rhythm at the annual Johnny Cash birthday bash with the usual gang from The CasHank Hootenanny Jamboree featuring Linda Hill with special guests Alex Battles, Sean Kershaw, David Haught, Cliff Westfall, Acorn Slim, Katie Curley, Diego Britt, Steve Strunsky of the The Lonesome Prairie Dogs, Alan Lee Backer, Jude Cash Kershaw, and others! WFMU's DJ Radio Honky Tonk Girl will be spinning top-flight 45s before and after the show.

Saturday, March 7th at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

249 9th Street (at 4th Avenue), Brooklyn U.S.A.

6PM. $15 advance/$18 day of show. All ages! *

* Only $5 at the door for kids under 18.

The Odds Were Good

"Hot damn. I don’t know who the hell Cliff Westfall is or where he’s been hiding out for so many years, but he just released a hot shit country record that will whip the pants off of most others released this year and many from years prior, and get you making room on your list of favorite artists...You will not be able to get enough of Baby You Win, and it will continue to impress you at every turn." -Saving Country Music

New York-based country songwriter Cliff Westfall writes songs about heartache, loss, addiction... you know, funny songs. Or he can turn on a dime and dive headlong into a sentimental weeper. The Kentucky native delivers with a mixture of wit and bravado that, for Westfall, is central to what country music is all about. On his album Baby You Win, he assembled a crew of some of New York’s best musicians to explore a new idea of Americana, drawing inspiration from sources often forgotten by the current country scene. 

“I feel like the humor of people like Roger Miller, Don Gibson, and Del Reeves is neglected nowadays,” Westfall says. “A lot of current country music makes you want to ask, ‘Hey, does anybody remember laughter?’ And you know, it’s not really anything against what anyone else is doing, it’s just that the ability to laugh at your troubles seems to have gotten lost.” The songs on Baby You Win are bitingly acerbic, dependent on the twisty puns, bittersweet humor, and turns of phrase that used to define country music. Westfall’s a true son of Kentucky and an honest student of the genre, but refuses to be constrained by its definitions. He cites Chuck Berry as his favorite lyricist, arguing that some of Berry’s songs were much closer to their country cousins than lines of race and genre might have suggested. This is Americana outside the box, made by an artist gleefully rifling through the dusty record bins of American roots music and converting them into something new. 

Friday, February 28th at Berlin

25 Avenue A (under 2A), New York City

Doors at 8PM. $12 cover. 21+ with ID.

Get Back Up!

The Rocksteady 7 is an influential American ska and jazz band from NYC. Founded in 1997, the core of the group has consisted of tenor saxophonist and band leader David Hillyard (The Slackers) and legendary percussionist Larry McDonald (Lee "Scratch" Perry, Gil Scott-Heron). In live performances, they are supported by a rotating cast of top shelf nyc musicians. Given reggae's globally reaching influence, the Rocksteady 7 holds true to the genre's roots and the self-described "Jamaican Jazz" sound combines ska, rocksteady and reggae with extended jazz improvisation, intricate melodies, and complex harmonies. The group incorporates many diverse elements of world music with rocksteady rhythms, including ska, jazz, calypso, as well as early African and American jazz influences.

Saturday, January 25th at The Gutter

200 North 14th Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 9PM. $10 cover. 21+ with ID.

Much Too Much

Birthday show for Dead Flowers very own Mr. Lee

"Where has all the punk rock gone? Well, if you’re seeking more than the typical mutual admiration society jerk-off that has become punk these days, look no further. Brooklyn’s Moral Panic don’t adhere to stylistic cues, don’t pander to their audience, and they don’t care what you think of them. What they do is play with lightning speed, balance 'tight' and 'loose' like the best of any Killed By Death band, and do it better than your friend’s boring hardcore outfit that played five times in the past month. What do they sound like? Cleveland’s Pagans at 45. There’s no posturing, no begging you to think they’re cool, no BS." -The Big Takeover

Featuring both ex- and current members of the The Templars, 45 Adapters and many others, Lvger play tough street-rock'n'roll (think Motörhead meets the punkier side of NWOBHM).

Slip Kids is a powerhouse tribute to The Who featuring members of The Brought Low, Bad Wizard, and Hopewell.  

The High Stride, featuring folks you know from other boss NYC-area bands, play no bullshit maximum R&

Saturday, January 18th at Venus In Furs

980 Broadway, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 8PM. $10 cover. 21+ with ID.

As Safe As Yesterday Is

Modern Needs is a listening and dance party with special guest DJs and monthly musical themes, held at Banter bar, located in scenic Brooklyn U.S.A. The January edition features Modern Needs host and boss DJ Mr. Lee (Going In Style Sound System) and special guest Leah Beth (Habibi) spinning ass-shaking sounds until the wee small hours!

Saturday, January 11th at Banter

132 Havemeyer, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Kicks off at 10PM... No cover!

Happy New Year

Keep It Moving

The Brought Low are an outer borough, boogie-rocking power trio the have been bringing the serious rock-action since 1999. This is their first area show in nearly a year.

Duffy's Cut Is a Philadelphia rock'n''roll band inspired by '60s British invasion and sweet soul music, with a tough bootboy edge. The band Is made up of ex-members of The Boils, Super Hi-Five, Bad Idea, Cranked Up! and Violent Society.

The High Stride, featuring folks you know from other boss NYC-area bands, play no bullshit maximum R&B. This is their debut show!

Friday, December 20th at The Gutter

200 North 14th Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 8PM. $10 cover. 21+ with ID.

Wax On Tap

The Darkest Day(s) of the year with the Kings County Brewers Collective and DJ Terry Dactyl. Special guest DJ Mr. Lee (Going In Style Sound System) steps in for Yana 'Lil Jerk — expect serious soul, ska and Latin sounds!

Thursday, December 19th at KCBC

381 Troutman Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

7-11pm. No cover! 21 + with ID.

Holding On With Both Hands

Modern Needs is a listening and dance party with special guest DJs and monthly musical themes, held at Banter bar, located in scenic Brooklyn U.S.A. The December edition features Modern Needs host and boss DJ Mr. Lee (Going In Style Sound System) and special guest Kurtis Powers (The Face Radio/BQE Records) spinning top-flight soulful sounds until the wee small hours!

Saturday, December 7th at Banter

132 Havemeyer, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Kicks off at 10PM... No cover!

In. The Cut

Modern Needs is a listening and dance party with special guest DJs and monthly musical themes, held at Banter bar, located in scenic Brooklyn U.S.A. The November edition — the long-waited return after an extended break — features Modern Needs host and boss DJ Mr. Lee (Going In Style Sound System) and special guest Melissa Walker spinning top-ranking punk/post-punk and reggae sounds!

Friday, November 22nd at Banter

132 Havemeyer, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Kicks off at 10PM... No cover!

Ba Ba Boom Time!

Rudeboy is a film about the love affair between Jamaican and British Youth culture told through the prism of one the most iconic record labels in history, Trojan Records. Combining archive footage, interview and drama, Rudeboy tells the story of Trojan Records by placing it at the heart of a cultural revolution that unfolded in the council estates and dance floors of late 60’s and early 70′ Britain and how that period of immigration and innovation transformed popular music and culture.  Featuring a cast of legendary artists including Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Toots Hibbert, Ken Boothe, Neville Staple, Marcia Griffiths, Dave Barker, Dandy Livingstone, Lloyd Coxsone, Pauline Black, Derrick Morgan and more.

Film screening plus a post-screening discussion with DJ Tony English moderated by The Face Radio's Kurtis Powers and after-party featuring DJ Mr. Lee (Going In Style Sound System).

Tuesday, October 15th at Nitehawk

136 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 7PM. $18 cover. All ages.

Talkin' Loud

Mr. Vacation spins the finest garage, psych, soul, funk, Brazilian and Jamaican records from 9PM-1AM. Strictly vinyl!

Thursday, September 19th at Boilermaker

200 North 14th Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 9PM. No cover! 21+ with ID.

Business As Usual

THE CYNICS

30th Anniversary Rock'N'Roll Tour

THE ELECTRIC MESS

THE ELEVATOR OPERATORS

DJs MATT CLARKE, MR. LEE, and FRANZO

Guitarist/producer/record company head Gregg Kostelich is the frenetic force behind the garage-punk institution that is The Cynics, formed in 1983. He managed to keep the band afloat in the wake of constant personnel changes, he recorded some of the finest garage tracks ever, and also launched one of the best independent record labels of the 1980s. The Cynics’ style has been clear since their inception: fuzzed ultra-distorted guitar, screaming, moaning vocals, with a straight-ahead no frills rhythm section. The influences are '60s punk, R&B, and other loud, frantic trash. Gregg has occasionally steered the band into flirtations with folk-rock and little pop, but it’s the grunged-out punkers that have created The Cynics’ reputation. Their first two 45s were released by the Californian Dionysus label, but soon after Gregg had established his own Pittsburgh-based Get Hip Recordings who would release all of The Cynics albums and singles, as well as those by countless great garage, punk-rock and power-pop releases by other bands from around the globe.  

Though Gregg’s guitar is the backbone of the band, vocalist Michael Kastelic’s contribution to The Cynics sound cannot be underestimated. In concert (and on record) he screeches, wails, and moans with great abandon, while his frail, thin body shakes throughout the room. Michael is a truly possessed frontman.

Friday, August 16th at Gran Torino

131 Berry Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 10PM. $12 - $15 *. 21+ with ID.

* Tickets on sale now

Faded Memory

RYAN LUCE (RECORD RELEASE SHOW)
LOW ROLLER • DJ HONKY TONK RADIO GIRL

“Sometimes you gotta get lost to be found”

Taking an unexpected trip to LA set the stage for Ryan Luce’s debut EP, California Gold. Driving through Arizona to the city of angels, he encountered the vast plains and mountains of the southwest. Encountering truckers, runaways, and hustlers gave Ryan material to tell stories of life, love, and loss. Taking a songwriting class from Louise Goffin at the legendary Village Studios started the journey to write the title track of two young kids setting out anew, hoping for the best ("California Gold"). Standing at a bus stop in early spring he wrote a song about a couple splitting up with a two step beat ("Loner Tendencies"). From there a showing of the the late '70s flick, The Rose inspired him to write about being a musician and the love, you may have after being out on the road ("Secondhand Rose"). The album opener ("Faded Memory") has been with Ryan the longest, written in the span of 20 minutes, he has continued to sing a song about a father’s dreams dashed and a son that grew into a man.

Over the last year he has been joined on stage by friends, DM Salsberg (keys), Matt Sapp (bass), Omer Ashano (violin), and Waverly Langston (drums), opening for Dan Layus and The Last Bandoleros. Over the course of three winter days Ryan and his band recorded at Grand St. Recording with engineer, Jake Lummus. Along with pedal steel player Ron Raymond, they have crafted songs that stretch out into the vast western sky.

Saturday, July 20th at Littlefield

635 Sackett Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 6PM. $10*. 21+ with ID.

* Tickets on sale now

Diamond Times

GREAT LAKES

A CENTURY OF FAKERS • GREASER PHASE

Great Lakes formed in 1996 in Athens, Georgia and released a self-titled debut in 2000. Though fronted by Ben Crum since its inception, the band has always enjoyed the contributions of a rotating cast of accomplished collaborators. Their debut benefitted from contributions by members of Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, of Montreal and many others, and garnered strong reviews from Mojo, Uncut, and many others, which led to festival appearances in Europe and a slot opening for Belle & Sebastian. After Crum left Athens for New York in 2002 the band went through several iterations, releasing three more albums and a handful of singles and touring the US a couple times and Europe many times. The list of collaborators grew to include a host of players who had made names for themselves with the likes of Talibam!, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Beirut, The Ladybug Transistor and many others. While their debut and 2002’s The Distance Between established Great Lakes' reputation as accomplished purveyors of top-notch late 60s-inspired psychedelic pop, over time the band’s sound shifted towards more organic and natural instrumentation, beginning with 2006’s Diamond Times and continuing with 2010’s Ways Of Escape, and increasingly incorporated more folk and country music influences as the songs veered away from the whimsical psychedelia of the band's early records and began to take on a greater degree of emotional depth. Great Lakes' more recent albums have been praised by Magnet, Allmusic, No Depression, and many others. A fifth LP is currently in the mixing stage, and is expected to see release in 2014. All of the band's albums are available from Orange Twin Records.

Friday, June 14th at Hank's

345 Adams Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 9PM. $10. 21+ with ID.

Lost Days

STEAK

C. GIBBS

Steak is founding members Erik Lieblein on rhythm guitar/vocals, Jack Grace on lead guitar/vocals, Stu Damm on drums, and occasionally founding member TJ Thomas on bass with Larry Cook and Daniel Garcia also sharing the bass chair. Their first fans developed from the Boulder, Colorado music scene in 1992 which included bands like The Samples, Big Head Todd and The Monsters Leftover Salmon and many others. The band played a "sarcastic latin/funk with everything including the kitchen sink kinda style" (Colorado Daily) and quickly developed a Colorado/West Coast underground group of followers. The word on their 'silly yet clever in a refreshing manner" (SF Weekly) stage show kept spreading and Steak began traveling California with the magical cult band, The Beat Farmers for a stretch. The road continued with a diverse pedigree of bands that included NRBQ, Uncle Tupelo, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Fishbone, The Funky Meters, Leo Nocentelli and Zigaboo Modeliste,  Steak got a tour bus and lived on the road for a few years, relocating to San Francisco and eventually basing themselves from Jack, Erik and Stu's birthplace of New York City. Steak is internationally renowned primarily for it's song, "Big Bear" which is featured in the climax of the Fox Searchlight comedy hit, Super Troopers (along with another Steak track, "Second To The Bottle").

Thursday, June 13th at Hank's

46 Third Avenue (at Atlantic), Brooklyn, U.S.A.

Doors at 9PM. $10 cover. 21+ with ID. *

* show cancelled.

Or Just Call It Love

THE PERFECT MAN

Somewhere between Miles Davis, Funkadelic, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Sun Ra lies The Perfect Man, an exploration of funky, sensual, heavy, and far out sounds designed for psychedelic mind-expansion. Led by Smoota on electric trombone, the band features the synth wizardry of Yusuke Yamamoto, the passionate guitar of Ricky Quiñones, and the deep rhythm section of Jeremy Wilms and Chris Eddleton. Smoota plays with art-rock band TV On The Radio and has recorded and toured the world with his solo act and as a trombonist for Run The Jewels, Steven Tyler, Aaron Neville, Sufjan Stevens, Pretty Lights, Griz, Phish, Angelique Kidjo and many others.

This show is part of Dead Flowers Productions new free Wednesday Happy Hour series of shows at Hank's Saloon, this event is co-presented by SlamJunk.

Wednesday, June 12th at Hank's

345 Adams Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 6:30PM. No cover. 21+ with ID.

Dance With Me

Formed by ex-Scofflaws singer Mike Drance in 1994, The Bluebeats recapture the sound of ska and rocksteady, creating a sound that is at the same time both classic and fresh. By combining strong vocals and rock-solid rhythms with original songs and Jamaican classics, The Bluebeats make fans whenever they perform. The band have appeared at Tramps, The Wetlands, and SOBs in New York City as well as performing at many tri-state area clubs and colleges. The band has appeared with such acts as The Skatalites, Culture, Desmond Dekker, Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis, Phyllis Dillon, Jimmy Cliff, Yellowman, Eek-A-Mouse, and Hopeton Lewis. A pinnacle moment for the group was when Roland Alphonso, a founding member of The Skatalites, joined the band on stage at The Cooler in New York City. In the spring of 1998, The Bluebeats toured Europe supporting a bill that featured Jamaican legends Dave Barker and Laurel Aitken. The band's first two albums Dance With Me and Live And Learn are available on all streaming/download providers. For 2019, Drance is joined by original member Steve Prisco, long-time band members Glen Hackett and Jason Hackett along with Al Speed and Vinny Carriero.

Friday, June 8th at Hank's

345 Adams Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 8PM. $10. 21+ with ID.

Make The Night Just A Little Longer

Glamorous jazz chanteuses and gutsy blues shouters front New York City's Empire Beats, a five to nine piece show band that explores an expanding book of old-school Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll, Jazz, and Pop music ~ familiar and forgotten hits from the past and funky new originals. Empire Beats' energetic music revue recalls showcases of another era but is firmly rooted in the right now. Since 2011, drummer/band leader Mark Boquist's well dressed gentlemen have been playing behind some of New York City's most talented young singers and presenting their showcase in niteclubs, dive bars, lounges, and halls at festivals, funraisers, private events, and public parties earning themselves a solid reputation as a rocking dance band playing songs from every side of the love equation. 

Friday, June 7th at Hank's

345 Adams Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 9PM. $10-$13*. 21+ with ID.

* Purchase advance tickets here.

Dirty Power

GIRLS ON GRASS

JONATHAN GREGG TRIO

Brooklyn-based Girls on Grass, despite their moniker, is precisely 50% girl— Barbara (writer, singer, guitarist), drummer Nancy Polstein (the Friggs, Cheri Knight, Star City)—and 50% boy: blues/alt-country vet David Weiss on lead guitar (replacing Sean Eden), and WFMU’s own Dave Mandl on bass.

Upon her arrival in NYC in 2004, Barbara served time in a handful of bands; it took a decade for her songwriting identity to blossom, and when it did, it contained multitudes: not only her Wisconsin working-class folk-country sensibility, but all the strains she took in as a kid and as a working musician. Think very, very melodic roots-y but also psych-inflected bands: the dBs, the Rain Parade, plus a big dose of surf and rockabilly. Plus, just warm as heck.

But that’s not all: she’s sort of a guitar hero. Think Dickey-Betts-meets-Tom-Verlaine. Precisely executed, angular lines, played left-handed. But that’s not all, either, because this is really a band, one that, upon their 2014 live debut (at Freddy’s Back Room) seems to have become the favorite of an alarming number of people. On Barbara’s left is Dave #1: the Tele guy who can effortlessly channel the likes of Roy Buchanan, Clarence White, or Richard Thompson as he plays in deft counterpoint to Barbara’s guitar. On her right is Dave #2, the melodic-but-grooving bass guy, who seems to always come up with the perfect but completely unexpected part. And behind her, holding everything together is Nancy, a drummer who really knows how to support a song, but can unleash a Bonham-esque stadium fill when such a thing is called for.

Dirty Power, their just-released sophomore effort, is a stunning collection that continues Barbara’s lay-it-on-the-line approach to songcraft but ups the ante musically with a more-developed guitar interplay that’s equal parts Sticky Fingers and Marquee Moon. Girls on Grass recorded Dirty Power with producer Eric Ambel (alum of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Del-Lords, Blood Oranges) and engineer Mario Viele, with mixing by Michael James.

Thursday June  6th at Hank's

345 Adams Street, Brooklyn U.S.A.

Doors at 9PM. $10. 21+ with ID.