The Macrotones and Miss Fairchild!

Event is 21+
$15/20 door

Established in Boston in 2007, The Macrotones are a 10-piece unit steeped in off-beat funk & soul rhythms from all over the globe. Blazing horns meet mighty hooks for a progressive mix fit to fill any dancefloor.

The band's tightly-honed grooves and infectious sound has shared the stage with like-minded practitioners such as Lee Fields & the Expressions, Durand Jones & the Indications, the Budos Band, Grupo Fantasma, Orgone, Ikebe Shakedown, and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars. Since typical genre descriptions fail to fully capture the scope of the Macrotones sound, new monikers need exploration: imperial funk, astrobeat, or even "a soundtrack for spies" all fit.

After numerous instrumental LP's and EP's released on Music ADD, a new era for the band began in 2019 when friend and occasional guest vocalist Phil Desisto joined full time. Phil's commanding and gritty vocals, a bit like Bobby Womack meets Mike Patton, saw the band embrace more classic soul sounds from the '6os and '70s, while retaining their edgy funk.

June 2024 finally saw the release of 'From The Void', their new LP with Phil on all 10 tracks. A feature on WBUR's album guide remarked that "the LP showcases soulful lead vocals along with the psychedelic grooves the Macrotones have mastered."

Macrotones

For the last two decades under the stage lights, New England’s Miss Fairchild has built a reputation on spectacle, musicianship, awe, and entertainment. Capably combining “juicy bass, slick grooves, and that peaches-and-cream brand of rhythm and blues” (Dig Boston) the band’s live performances have come to resemble one of Prince’s storied aftershows: a melange of original-song staples, b-side cover tunes, and extended jams that would make even the Purple One smirk and bat his lashes with approval.

But who exactly is Miss Fairchild? Think of her as your favorite aunt: flashy, freewheeling, funky as hell, and most importantly not your parents. She was born in 2004 on a spit of land 30 miles out to sea. Only she isn’t a flesh-and-blood person, she’s an idea—a muse for a band.

Songwriting partners Travis Richard and Schuyler Dunlap—along with renowned producer/DJ, Sammy Bananas (Fools Gold Records)—started MF as a recording project at a time where home studio resources were newly available en masse. Tucked away in a basement on Nantucket Island, MA, they developed a unique sound and singular sense of cool, putting their own spin on Pop-oriented Funk and R&B. But the studio could not contain them; Richard was destined to be on the bandstand interacting with a live audience.

Taking his cues from genre-defining heroes James Brown and Sly Stone, Richard applied his care for songcraft and music production to the development of an engaging live show that balances polished arrangements with off-the-cuff vamps and grimacing Funk breakdowns.

Some of the most sought after players in New England were assembled to help realize his dream. Guitarist Dan Thomas, saxophonist Jeff Fennell, and drummer Jimmy Robitaille—all hailing from Western MA—are regularly featured in some of the funkiest and most reputable bands in New England (The Valley Moonstompers Society, Beau Sasser & Friends). Original MF bassist Patrick Johnson returns from hiatus to dress the rhythm section in heart and soul, authenticating the sound.

The year 2021 saw the band emerging from a pandemic-induced creative slump, complete with new material and a renewed sense of purpose; people need Miss Fairchild today. Their new album, Déjà Vu (release date TBD), which reunites the band with songwriter/guitarist Dunlap, rockets through the atmosphere fueled by instant Party-Funk classics (“Tryin’ For The Weekend”) then floats amongst the stars with sexy, slow-burn numbers (lead single “Body Right, pt. I & II”).

“Juicy bass, slick grooves, and that peaches-and-cream brand of rhythm and blues... Miss Fairchild has arrived fresh off the mothership to provide your senses with all kinds of musical sex, placing you squarely on the verge of doin’ it.” - Dig Boston

Miss Fairchild