Posted on: May 15, 2014 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Progressive funk collective The Motet is on tour this summer in support of their brand new album.  Hailed as “ambitious, airtight and built to travel” (Boulder Weekly), the band’s self-titled 7th release indeed finds The Motet bold and road ready. 

With recent sellout shows headlining Brooklyn Bowl, Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium, Atlanta’s Terminal West, Boston’s Brighton Music Hall and others, The Motet prepares to crisscross the country throughout the summer – with festival stops including Summer Camp, North Coast Music Festival, Euphoria Camping & Music Festival, a hometown Red Rocks play, and more.  The Motet’s complete list of currently confirmed shows is included below.

The nine tracks on The Motet (released February 2014) seamlessly showcase an evolved, keenly refined musical vision of The Motet; a band committed to pushing the sonic envelope, while remaining dedicated to the musical traditions – funk, afrobeat, disco, jazz, and soul – that have long defined their sound. The Motet are well known in Colorado and beyond for keeping audiences in a dancing frenzy by layering precise and vibrant live instrumentation and electronic rhythms into a style that is uniquely their own. And in this age when EDM reigns over the dance music scene, The Motet is proof that funk is not even close to dead.  For this studio recording, each member of the band contributed to the writing and arranging of the album’s nine original songs.  Using traditional analog recording methods including tape, tubes and transistors, the music on The Motet offers all the crunch and bite of a classic 70’s funk record and is warm, rich, and organic in tone. But the music is fresh and forward – as much a glimpse into the future of funk music as it is homage to the past.Choosing to self-title their 7th release says it all – this is a band that feels like it has finally become. And critics agree:

“This is a studio record worthy of the name; original tunes,
utterly flawless production and not a throwaway in the bunch.” (Boulder Weekly)

“…55 glorious minutes of Motet music
that showcases their growth as individuals and as an unstoppable funk machine…” – (Upstate Live)

Started ten years ago by seasoned drummer Dave Watts as a rotating cast of musical friends, today The Motet has refined their sound and vision into a dynamic and expressive force. The Motet features an astonishingly talented cast of musicians who enjoy a palpable rapport when put together – Dave Watts (drums, musical director), Garrett Sayers (bass), Joey Porter (keyboards), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Jans Ingber (vocals) and horn players Gabe Mervine (trumpet) and Matt Pitts (sax).

Touring nationwide for the first time in the band’s history, The Motet are being hailed as “the best live band right now” (Source Audio).

The Motet’s current tour dates are as follows:

Saturday, May 10 The Funky Biscuit Boca Raton FL
Sunday, May 11 The Purple Hatters Ball Live Oak FL
Friday, May 23 Summer Camp Chillicothe IL
Saturday, May 24 Revival Fest Clarks Grove MN
Thursday, June 5 The State Theatre Falls Church VA
Friday, June 6 North Star Bar Philadelphia PA
Sunday, June 15 Snowmass Mammoth Festival Snowmass CO
Saturday, July 5 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison CO
Saturday, July 12 Camp Euphoria Lone Tree IA
Friday, July 18 Tractor Tavern Seattle WA
Saturday, July 19 Northwest String Summit Northern Plains OR
Sunday, July 20 Starbelly Jam Crawford Bay BC
Tuesday, January 6 – Sunday, January 11 Jam Cruise 10 Fort Lauderdale FL
Additional dates to be announced.

To stay up to date on all news on The Motet, please visit
www.themotet.com and the official Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Soundcloud pages.

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