Thursday Night All-Stars - Sidewalk Cafe, NYC 7/10/08 + CD Review

The Thursday Night All-Stars have been playing around town for about a year and the band just released its first EP, Ayatollah Fancy and the Thursday Night All-Stars. The band combines middle-eastern flavored jazz/world music with humor, political commentary and satire that ends up in an amalgamation that is part Frank Zappa and part Sic F*ucks.



The band's new 5-song EP serves as a good indoctrination into "Doctrine of the Thursday Night All-Star". All of the tracks prominently feature the electric Persian Tar (played by front man Piruz Partow) which is accompanied by drums, saxophone, keyboards, electric guitar, bass guitar and an upright bass. It is a very Zappa-ish mix of instruments and sounds. Lyrically, the band ranges from a mix of serious subjects (condemnation of middle-eastern and home-grown suicide bombers on "Mahmoud" and the lack of relevance of the current educational system on "I Hate Homework") to a tongue-in-cheek 70's-style love ballad (on "Being With You"). "Jihad Jam" and "Zionist Breakdown" are both instrumental jams that showcase the band's musical abilities.

The Thursday Night All-Stars' next show is at the Knitting Factory on (Thursday) July 24th.

Links:
Thursday Night All-Stars MySpace Profile

Thursday Night All Stars Announce June Residency at Piano's

Move over Weird Al...the Thursday Night All Stars are playing a 4-week Saturday night residency at Piano's next month. Here is how the band describes themselves on their MySpace page:

"TNA is a middle-eastern jam band that uses aural satire in promoting the voice of the great Ayatollah Fancy who is spreading his new mysticism based on the qualities of Spiritual Sonic-Selfishness(tm). TNA combine rock, humor, politics, and jello shots to proselytize the selfish values of the great Ayatollah Fancy while he continues to recover from being headbutted by a yack."

The first cut on the band's MySpace player, "Mahmoud", rhymes Mahmoud with 'bad dude'. Some of the other cuts in the player are 'Jihad Jam' and 'I Hate Homework'.

Good or bad...these shows definately looks like they will be an experience.

The band is playing the following Saturday's: June 7, 14, 21, and 28 and they are supposed to take the stage at midnight each night.

Links:
Thursday Night All Stars' MySpace Profile
Thursday Night All Stars' Website