The New Deal

Catskill Mountain Jubilee is returning to Blackthorne Resort in East Durham for its second annual event this Aug. 11 to 14. This year features four nights of music, with two full performances from Dark Star Orchestra Fri. Aug 12 and Sat. Aug 13, two sets from The Disco Biscuits Sun. Aug. 14, plus Chali 2na and Cut Chemist on Thu. Aug 11.

After a two-year hiatus, Cloud 9 Adventures has announced the highly anticipated return of Holidaze. The intimate concert vacation returns to Riviera Maya, Mexico at Now Sapphire Resort and Dreams Resort & Spa on December 4-8, 2021. The all-inclusive tropical adventure features four nights of music on the Caribbean coast from a monumental lineup featuring Holidaze veterans, supergroups, and first time performers.

Toronto based live electronica band The New Deal are releasing “Isolation Suite” on June 26th, an EP of new music that was written, recorded and mixed in isolation during Covid-19 quarantine.

Wave Spell Live will once again take over the idyllic locale of Belden Town Resort in Belden Town California. Intimate forested stage environments, which include a beach stage and swimming in the river by the beach, make it one of the nations most beautiful festival venues. Wave Spell Live offers a unique look into both the community ethos and famously forward-thinking sonic fusion upon which STS9 has built its trailblazing legacy.

It was the first super chilly night in the mountains of Colorado at one of the most beautiful venues in the country. That made the crowd super intimate for the progressive breakbeat house trio. These Canadians are no strangers to cold weather or Colorado. Their shows in Boulder and Denver in the spring attracted many long-time fans. This show was even better than those a few months back. I saw the Boulder Theater show, but there was something about the magic and music of this night that made it the show to see.

The genre of Jamtronica has its roots in unexpected places. Filled with elements of jazz, fusion and funk as well as club, dance and techno music. These are the descriptors of Jamtronica heavy weights and progenitors The New Deal. After over a decade of heavy touring and an unexpected hiatus, The New Deal is back and filled inspiration. I was lucky enough to catch The New Deal at the legendary Ogden Theater in Denver, CO.

Toronto natives The New Deal are set to start a brief fall tour.  Starting with a two-day run in Colorado and ending in Chicago, this concise touring schedule suggests a cohesion and maturity to the band. Coming back after an apparent end in 2011, The New Deal’s return in 2014 was surprising and elating. Now in 2015 fans eagerly await more of The New Deal’s captivating and unique Jamtronica sounds.

It’s interesting to be able to think back on the music of the 1990s, let alone the 2000s and what evolved in the live music concert experience. The reemergence of the multi-day music festival gave the jam band revival a venue to gig multiple shows at once and get closer with the fans. What also changed was what kind of music was being performing in a live setting. There was always a separation between the deejay persona and electronica music from the whole rock’n’roll bands that jammed. That certainly changed with the growing popularity of summer music festivals.

One of the most exciting developments in progressive electronica is the return of acclaimed live breakbeat house trio The New Deal. Fans were thrilled when powerhouse musicians Jamie Shields (keyboards), Joel Stouffer (drums), and Dan Kurtz (bass) announced scattered dates earlier this year. It marked their return to touring after calling it to pursue other endeavors in 2011. The select fall and summer dates displayed the band in tiptop form with more onstage energy than ever. It appears that the band plans to continue reestablishing themselves in the genre they created.

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