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The Blue Ball
Yale Alumni Bands Charity Concert

Thursday, August 10, 7pm - midnite
THE BITTER END
147 Bleeker Street (between Thompson and LaGuardia)
ABCDEFG to W 4 St., 6 to Bleeker
(212-673-7030)
$10 at the door, 18 and over

YALE ROCK BANDS RAISE $5k FOR MUSIC EDUCATION!!!

The First Annual "Blue Ball" Yale Charity Rock Bands Event was a smashing success, helping to raise over $5,000 for music education in NYC Public Schools. A sell-out crowd of 300+ stormed the Bitter End on August 10 to watch Eyan & Milestone, Django & the Regulars, Josh Dodes Band, Marlee Napurano, the Pasties, and host Betsy Fast, all of whom graciously donated their time. All proceeds were donated to the Center for Arts Education (cae-nyc.org).

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER BLUE BALL THIS WINTER!!! For more details on this or other Yale Arts events, or any of the great acts which donated their time, please check out www.musicwide.com/themafya, or e-mail Mike Jacobs at themafya@aol.com.

Hosted by Betsy Fast of Breakup Girl.  Featuring:

Click on an artist name above for more details

All proceeds to benefit the The Center for Arts Education to help restore arts education to New York City's public schools.

Presented by THe MAFYA - THeater, Music, Art & Film Yale Alumni.  Special thanks to TheSquare.com.  For more information, please e-mail Mike Jacobs at themafya@aol.com

the Pasties  - Marlee Napurano - Josh Dodes Band  - Django & the Regulars - Eyan

the Pasties   featuring Mike Jacobs '95 and Devon Copley '95

Vocal-driven, alternative power-pop with catchy hooks and clean melodies – and it's easy to dance to. Ardent rock with pop sensibilities, this band is often compared to Vertical Horizon, Goo Goo Dolls and Tonic with a dash of Elvis Costello's vocals. the Pasties have imbued the traditionally "gimmicky” downtown New York City music scene with earnest pop, deliberate lyrics and a versatile rhythm section.  Formerly known as Mighty Vitamin, the Pasties formed in late 1999 and have been at the forefront of the Lower East Side music scene for the past year. With their well-crafted original music and a few kitschy covers, they routinely pack such venues as the Mercury Lounge, Baby Jupiter and Arlene Grocery.  Visit the Web site To join the Pasties' mailing list for shows and news, email mike@thepasties.com.

Return to top  -  the Pasties  - Marlee Napurano - Josh Dodes Band  - Django & the Regulars - Eyan

Marlee Napurano '95 

The singer, songwriter, and guitar-swinging Marlee Napurano brings a new sound to three old genres: pop, rock, and folk. With a mixture of intimate, jazzy ballads and jolting rock licks, she brings a "reviving breath to the New York live scene." On stage Marlee, "washes her experiences over her audience" with a vocal style somewhere between Ani Defranco and Ella Fitzgerald. While at Yale University, she sang a 2 hour program for President Clinton at the White House for the 75th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage. After graduating from Yale Marlee put together an acoustic duo and hit the coffeehouses and open mics. At one such open mic in 1998, the house band approached Marlee and asked to be her band on her original project, and the trio of Marlee, drummer Casey O'Connor and bassist Steve Johnson was born. In the true independent spirit, Marlee has seen through production a full length CD and a new 3 song demo and is entirely self-managed and self-promoted. Visit the Web site To join Marlee's mailing list for shows and news, email OrangePawMusic@aol.com.

Return to top  -  the Pasties  - Marlee Napurano - Josh Dodes Band  - Django & the Regulars - Eyan

 Josh Dodes Band   featuring Josh Dodes '95

Funk pianist/songwriter Josh Dodes formed the Josh Dodes Band in 1998 after two years of increasingly successful solo shows. With the addition of several top-notch players to the mix (Phil Tremblay on drums, Daryl Wilkerson on bass, Michael Bellar on organ, and Adrian Hartley on backup vocals), the band has been building its fan base throughout the Northeast at an exp.onential rate ever since. The band regularly sells out the legendary Bitter End, their home base in New York, and has also played regularly in New Haven (where they have opened for Indigo Girls), Philadelphia (where they have gotten radio play on local favorite WXPN), and Washington, DC (where they have played the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage and where they have recently been selected as featured performers at 1999's annual Kennedy Center Open House). The band is currently playing shows in support of their debut album, Get Up, and seeking a major-label record deal. Visit the Web site To join the Josh Dodes Band mailing list for shows and news, email jdband@jdband.com.

Return to top  -  the Pasties  - Marlee Napurano - Josh Dodes Band  - Django & the Regulars - Eyan

Django & the Regulars  featuring Django Haskins '95

The result of extensive genetic exp.erimentation, Django and the Regulars were born with an extra rock gene. But rather than let this get them down, they use it to their advantage every time they step on the stage.  Ringmaster Django Haskins, a recent CMJ NewMusic Report's "A&R Pick," is hailed as "an artist with a bright future...recommended to anyone looking for fresh songwriting talent." Django & co. have toured in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and recently recorded new tracks with legendary rock producer Don Fleming (Sonic Youth, Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Smithereens, Dinosaur Jr.). Melodic, lyrically sharp, and rockin', they come off like the bastard sons of Westerberg, McCartney, and Costello, but with a smart swagger all their own. Visit the Web site To join Django's mailing list for shows and news, email list@djangohaskins.com.

 

Return to top  -  the Pasties  - Marlee Napurano - Josh Dodes Band  - Django & the Regulars - Eyan

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Eyan & Milestone (debut performance) featuring Eyan Mitchell '94, Josh Dodes '95, Django Haskins '95, and Eric Savolainen '90

Growing up in Boston, Eyan began studying music at the age of five. After an ankle injury permanently sidelined him from a college sports career, he followed a friend's advice and auditioned for an a capella singing group. His experience with that group eventually led him to New York, where he has spent the past four years studying voice and crafting his songwriting style.  Drawing upon influences ranging from the jazz and gospel music from his father's record player to the close harmonies of a capella singing, combining those with technique and expression from his classical background, and mixing them with his love for R&B and hip-hop, Eyan has formed Milestone, named for what it represents at this stage of his musical journey. Along with six highly skilled, accomplished, and experienced partners, he has set out on that journey with high hopes for what the future will hold.

 

Return to top  -  the Pasties  - Marlee Napurano - Josh Dodes Band  - Django & the Regulars - Eyan

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Not appearing at the Benefit, but definitely worthy of checking out:

Fuzzphonic is the latest musical adventure from ex-Blue Fountain Diner saxman Seth Searls '98 and drummer Mike Espar '98. With Mike abdicating the drum throne in favor of the piano bench, Fuzzphonic brings the future funk sound of Blue Fountain Diner to a new level, incorporating drum loops, samples, and synthesizers into a dance-able blend of retro rock, pop and electronica with hints of jazz and Latin. Fresh from his days as a "Gentleman Songster", Vayu O'Donnell '98/99 joins the pair with his powerful tenor. Look for Fuzzphonic to storm the stage near you this fall.

To join the Fuzzphonic mailing list for shows and news, email Mike Espar at mike@aya.yale.edu.

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