Music

Shabaka

True/False Music, in partnership with Dismal Niche Arts & the “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series’ inaugural ‘Left Field’ season program is ecstatic to present Shabaka as the headlining showcase of the 2025 Fest on Thursday, February 27 at The Blue Note.

This latest mononym incarnation marks a significant change in the creative lifetime of UK-bred composer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Shabaka Hutchings. An immediate factor in the global jazz & new music scene upon arrival in the mid 2010s, Hutchings earned initial acclaim through his lead saxophone work with the bands Sons of Kemet and The Comet is Coming on the legendary Impulse! Records.

However, as the world moved towards isolation with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shabaka took the space to begin exploring the international history of woodwinds (namely the ancient Japanese Shakuhachi flute), leading to his decision to temporarily retire his saxophone play and accompanying projects.

Following a handful of farewell performances, including the 2023 Hollywood Bowl “Promises” showcase where he played the role of the late Pharoah Sanders, Shabaka has returned in 2024 with his debut solo album. ‘Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace’ is a gorgeous, transfixing listen, using his newfound flute fascination as a foil for a fresh dialogue with the nature of earth and heaven. The album boasts a carefully curated yet dynamic list of collaborators (including André 3000, Moses Sumney, and Dismal Niche alumni acts E L U C I D & Laaraji).

We can’t wait for this project to be brought to life on our stage by his American ensemble for a unique experience meant to be witnessed by all.

T/F passholders will be able to reserve a ticket for this concert at no additional cost, however, capacity is limited. Super Circle passholders will be guaranteed a seat at this show case (with reserved ticket), and Silver Circle and Stay Up Late Passholders will have the next opportunity to reserve.

Concerts

Super, Silver, Center & Stay Up Late passholders can start reserving tickets to showcases on their reservation date. Make sure to add it to your calendar!

Individual tickets to all showcases will be available Monday, February 17, 10AM CST space permitting.

Eastside Kickoff Concert

Wednesday, Feb 26 / Doors 7pm, Show 8pm-11:30pm

Come get shoulder to shoulder, warm and cozy at the annual “day zero” showcase, continuing its embrace of a DIY aesthetic and sound with math rock locals Drona, globe traveling basement punkers BC69, and the electro soul keytar playing Soumir. Gen admin: $10 PRESENTED BY 102.3-BXR.

Shabaka

Thursday, Feb 27 / Doors 7PM, Show 8PM-9:30PM

London’s spiritual jazz ambassador and flautist Shabaka Hutchings commences the weekend’s nocturnal activity with tones of melodic poetry & prayer. Bolstered by ascendant star harpist Charles Overton, this special opening night presentation of one of modern music’s most cherished entities acts as the thematic springboard for this year’s musical festivities. Produced in collaboration with Dismal Niche & We Always Swing Jazz Series inaugural “Left Field Series”. Gen admin: $30 advance, $35 night-of-show. *Passholders must have reserved tickets for free entry to this performance.

@ction Party

Thursday, Feb 27 / 10pm-1am / MyHouse

For this year’s take on the first night function, we return to the opulently adorned MyHouse. L.A.’s drummerscales drives the decks and dance floor through kinetic scenes of hip-hop & electronica, while the club’s immersive visual accessories dress a night destined for high energy and low-end frequencies. Jump into the fray for the starting block of the weekend’s nightlife theater. Ticket required.

Friday Eastside Happy Hour

Friday, Feb 28 / 6pm-8pm

An electric charge fritzes through the hallowed forum of Eastside Tavern, as two of Missouri’s finest young troupes enter the arena on Friday evening. St. Louis’ K Kudda Muzic boldly steps away from his supporting roles to assert his claim as proficient bandleader, building out his smooth funk tracks to match the occasion, while Mizzou’s favorite Zeph France comes refreshed and ready to rap circles around the world in this inflection point for the weekend’s energy. Free and open to the public, donations encouraged.

Friday Night Berlin Showcase

Friday, Feb 28 / Doors 7pm, Show 8pm-11pm

Cafe Berlin makes its weekend premiere as a vessel for exploration into the trenches of avant-garde hip-hop. Spearheaded by New York City underground juggernaut E L U C I D, and supported by wordsmith supreme Cavalier and Brooklyn chemist Semiratruth, bone-rattling beat and dense lyrical flexes converge to help us process today’s political chaos and project a blueprint for a divergent, parallel world. Gen admin: $18 advance, $20 night-of-show

The Blue Note Dance Party w/ Takuya Nakamura

Friday, Feb 28 / 10pm-1am

New York (by way of Tokyo) DJ & instrumentalist Takuya Nakamura brings the perfect amalgam of experimentation and dance floor ecstasy to this year’s rendition of the annual affair. Careening into the space with UK-inspired garage and drum ’n’ bass sounds and impassioned, barely hinged live trumpet, this season’s most mercurial performer will surely spin us deep into the regions of the night. Gen admin: $15 adv, $20 night-of-show

Sentinel Park Showcase

Saturday, Mar 1 / Doors 1:30pm, Show 2pm-4pm

Let the incoming hints of spring pull you towards Sentinel Park for our only outdoor showcase to hear the haunting tremolo laden instrumentals of Columbia guitar scion Devin Frank and the subtly complex dream pop of St. Louis’ Mold Gold. Free and open to the public, donations encouraged. Will be relocated to Eastside Tavern if the weather turns. Presented by 102.3-BXR.

Sanctuary Showcase

Saturday, Mar 1 / Doors 5:30pm, Show 6pm-8pm

Experience the full spectrum of sound when an acoustic space becomes the instrument at the Sanctuary Showcase. Heavily awarded producer Josh Johnson will create impossibly spacious loops with layers of improvised saxophone, preceded by Japan’s beloved folk baroness Sachiko Kanenobu. Icing on this jazz and folk-derived cake will be serviced by Philadelphia collective Hour, providing backing for Kanenobu and an opening performance of their own. Free and open to the public. Presented by VisitMo.

Saturday Night Berlin Showcase

Saturday, Mar 1 / Doors 7pm, Show 8pm-11pm

In a rock ‘n’ roll particle collider of big muff engaged guitar twangs and thrums, regional lo-fi warriors David Nance and Mowed Sound will take the stage with deep cut classic rock inspired tunes from their recent Third Man Records release. Setting the scene are St. Louis punk iconoclasts Kids and the semi-local shoegaze of Tri-County Liquidators. Gen admin: $18 advance, $20 night-of-show.

Saturday Night Rose Showcase

Saturday, Mar 1 / Doors 8pm, Show 9pm-12:30am

A veritable summit of Chicago’s music splendor, math-rock delegates Finom are tee’d up by Tenci’s serenely melancholic folk-rock musings and the regal symphony of Resavoir to bring the Fest’s sonic aspects to a bombastic, joyful climax. Gen admin: $20 advance, $25 night-of-show

Hitt Records Sessions

Sunday, Mar 2 / 6pm-8pm

While it may signal the bittersweet end of the weekend, the gorgeous and hazed impartings of Chicago’s V.V. Lightbody and St. Louis’ Lena Clav pivot the Fest’s flagship record store to a portal for the uncharted in this final showcase of the 2025 program. Free & open to the public. Presented by GigSalad.

Buskers Last Stand

Sunday, Mar 2 / 9:15pm-10:15pm

With a tear and a beer, the festival comes to its official end with the ritual escape of the accordion, trumpet, and megaphone. No ticket required; theater lobby open to passholders & those with a ticket to the closing night film.

Musicians

Adelyn Strei

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and improviser Adelyn Strei weaves together woodwinds, guitar, and hushed vocals, inviting the listener inside her resplendent web of respite.

BC69

Eastside Kickoff Concert

BC69 embodies the essence of Midwest basement rock and roll, rooted in the rich legacy of Columbia’s DIY punk ethos. Now based across the USA, the trio reunited after a seven-year hiatus to go on a world tour in Japan, and will enjoy a homecoming date at this year’s Wednesday night kickoff showcase.

Bianca Oblivion

Globally fortified tastes of bass, techno and reggaeton are the choice ingredients to this native Angeleno’s mixing methodology. Crashing the decks with a barely contained sense of exuberance, Bianca seeks to investigate shared traits of international club music while proudly championing the vibrant underground culture of her beloved Los Angeles.

Big $ilky

The name might be a fresh one, but the bars and inherent sense of bounce from Chicago maven Psalm One and vocalist Angel will be a welcome return for anyone who was fortunate enough to see the duo at the 2024 Fest. Infectiously playful and fiercely political, Big $ilky’s anthemic hip-hop takes the fight to all who enable oppression and inequality while keeping the space for revelry amongst the allies.

Big Color

Prolific drummer Kaleb Kirby has become a respected voice among the current landscape of St. Louis jazz composers. Copiloted by two equally gifted guitarists, Big Color exists as a testament of kinship and brotherhood through sound.

BSA Gold

A dynamic and engaging returner to the Fest’s musical gallery, BSA Gold is the performance moniker of Chicago flautist and producer Barédu Ahmed. Blanketing lush melody and understated poetry over a bedrock of bass hits true to the low end theory, her sounds signify a space where the cosmic and temporal can interact in harmony.

Cavalier

Friday Night Berlin Showcase

Perhaps one of rap’s great remaining zealots, New Orleans-based MC Cavalier speaks to the archetypal warrior-poet within us all. Able to slip in and out of gravity-defying wordplay and heavyweight blows of worldly truth with sly ease, Cav’s 2024 releases on the notorious Backwoodz Studioz label have earned him a long overdue period of praise from the wide reaches of the genre’s sphere.

David Nance & Mowed Sound

Saturday Night Berlin Showcase

With a midwestern jangle and heavy on the backbeat, these Omaha Nebraskans shred and bend their overdriven guitars into a bygone era of eerie country rock sound, infused with the ache of the present.

Devin Frank Trio

Sentinel Park Showcase

Former local and routine live scene stealer Devin Frank makes his long-anticipated return to True/False. Having spent recent years in Illinois recharging his patented brand of psychedelic folk-rock, Devin and his new conspirators project unbridled joy in performance while firing off a litany of sonic cues mined straight from the region’s dusty record crates.

Drona

Eastside Kickoff Concert

Drona is a young, passionate sibling trio of self-taught players eager to bring their concoctions to the stage, fusing their love of genres as different as bedroom pop and black metal into math-y musical structures while leaving room for the rule-breaking openness of jazz.

drummerscales

The multifaceted handiwork of producer and DJ Jacob Somerscales has been key to the True/False music puzzle for years. Spending years honing chops in curation, technique and timing, this LA-based tinkerer brings a refined, keenly tuned intuition to the dance floor.

E L U C I D

Friday Night Berlin Showcase

Fresh off the release of “REVELATOR”, his acclaimed Fat Possum debut, E L U C I D has arrived at this stage of his career bearing both well-worn wariness and resolve for the future. Engaging his distinctive baritone vocals with some of modern hip-hop’s most cryptic production, the esteemed Brooklyn artist masterfully articulates the hellish nature of today’s America and vows to stay steadfast in spite of it.

Finom

Saturday Night Rose Showcase 2024

Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart share no blood, but hearing them perform their telepathic improvisations leaves you wondering how it’s possible they aren’t sisters. True/False veterans (formerly Ohmme) return with a new album of angular guitar riffs and bullseye precision vocal harmonies that embody the artistry of the Chicago experimental music scene they grew up within.

Hour

Sanctuary Showcase

Helmed by city scene veteran and Dear Life Records mastermind Michael Cormier-O’Leary, the vaunted Philadelphia instrumental collective shifts through song passages at a leisurely yet assured clip, coaxing listeners into an environment of pastoral post-rock beauty.

HYO-SIS

Columbia, MO sister duo HYO-SIS, made up of Jihyo and Seunghyo Jung, grew up playing piano together and further developed their sibling piano relationship in the Odyssey Chamber Music Series. Similar to the great family acts of our time, their shared DNA brings nuance and dynamics in their piano playing that presents a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Jackson Graham

Jackson Graham is a vibraphonist and bandleader from Lawrence, Kansas. Holding a Master’s of Music from KU’s prestigious School of Music, Graham evokes the spirits of jazz and new age forbearers to create contemplative, room-filling compositions perfectly prepped for the weekend’s cinema. Jackson Graham’s appearances at True/False have been made possible via the generosity and support of the Doug DuBois Harmony Fund.

Jason Calhoun

Jason Calhoun conjures vivid colors, delicate nuance and dissonant texture through his droning, synthetic soundscapes. Guaranteed to stimulate both sides of the brain while also provoking an almost ominous feeling of urgency, this Hour bandmate has manifested a new frontier in the field of ambient sound.

Josh Johnson

Sanctuary Showcase

The marvel of this Grammy-award winning composer’s craft lies in the economy of his tools. Armed with only a saxophone and effects pedals, Josh takes the seemingly minimal conceit and compounds layers of looped harmony and beat, resulting in towering pieces of blissful sound. One of the industry’s most in-demand players (counting feature credits as wide-ranging as Meshell Ndegeocello and Miley Cyrus), this L.A. virtuoso is one to keep a steady eye on in coming years.

K Kudda Muzic

Friday Eastside Happy Hour

Rosy piano chords accenting the unflagging funk of expertly placed drum patterns usher audiences into the orbit of this St. Louis-bred keyboardist. Moonlighting as sideman for some of the city’s brightest stars (Smino, Blvck Spvde), Kudda’s downtempo beat alchemy turns any space he enters into a headnod suite.

Kids

Saturday Night Berlin Showcase

St. Louis based, dual fronted post-punk band Kids puts you shotgun in the front seat while their driving guitar riffs screech donuts through abandoned parking lots and coast through dark alleys just missing dumpsters. Irreverent rock and roll at its finest.

Kyren Penrose

Boone County’s young giant and the crown prince of Fest performance, Kyren continues to grow his enduring True/False track record through ballads filled with fire, desire and an unchained drive to achieve his calling amongst the pantheon of Americana’s greats.

Lena Clav

Hitt Records Sessions

Atmosphere-tinged theories of hope & heartache seep through the notes of this St. Louis upstart’s take on rhythm & blues. Having come up under the watchful eye of the community’s stewards, Lena premieres at the Fest with a synth-washed and soulful performance style that’s sure to imbue a sense of uniquely Midwestern longing.

Macie Stewart

Macie Stewart is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and collaborator Look around any corner in the Chicago music scene to see Macie standing in on violin with names big and small. Co-creator of the experimental indie–rock band Finom (formerly Ohmme), Macie brings lush sentimentality to the forefront in their solo work.

Maxubishi

CoMo’s own, Max Garcia-Rubio mines through crates of forgotten wax to unearth a striking collision of primal beat and unassailable melody; a bounty of dance-floor splendor.

Mold Gold

Sentinel Park Showcase

STL-based trio Mold Gold harkens back to many enchanting folk forebears, bringing forth Connie Converse’s intimate vocal delicacy and Nick Drake’s billowing finger-picking. They manage to sound both contemporary and familiar, like birds chirping to signal Spring.

Noel Spiva

The creative force of this St. Louis DJ. designer and vocalist simply knows no bounds. Always informed across pursuits by a love for Black music culture, Noel’s status as an in-demand contributor are cemented on hip-hop production credits, brand photography projects and her monthly residency on the infamous NTS Radio platform.

RESAVOIR

Saturday Night Rose Showcase

The brainchild of career trumpeter and composer Will Miller, Resavoir is a project that synthesizes the best of Chicago’s flourishing jazz community into a symphonic, solar-powered package. Fueled by an undercurrent of spirited collaboration that nearly seems designed with the Fest in mind, this radiant International Anthem outfit reminds us of the strength of music at its most enjoyable.

Sachiko Kanenobu

Sanctuary Showcase

In the 50 years since the debut of “Misora,” her seminal 1972 record with the revered Haroumi Hosono, the cultish lore of this Japanese luminary has only grown more widespread. Considered the island nation’s first female singer-songwriter, Sachiko is still sharing her exceptionally precise finger-picking and dewey vocal range to the delight of all those fortunate to witness.

Semiratruth

Friday Night Berlin Showcase

With kaleidoscopic, sample-heavy groundwork that reads like fragmented radio transmissions from the far corners of outer space, Chicago-via-New York City poet and producer Semiratruth charts a course to new dimensions via steel nosed, melodic verses outlining the trials and triumphs of 21st century Black life.

Shabaka

During a societal moment where time and space seem to be accelerating towards one another at breakneck speed, the music of London’s Shabaka Hutchings extends the empowering opportunity at remembrance and restoration. Rightfully lionized by audiences and critics alike as one of modern jazz’s most essential voices, Shabaka’s ornate, spiritual approach to the flute tradition stirs the mental and the physical in equal measure to create a world of its maker’s own image.

SHERMVN

Ohio’s Ziaire Trinidad Sherman’s sets often feature the alloy of looping saxophone, samples, beats and keyboard. By integrating technological elements into his work, he produces a distinctive, magnetic sound that shuffles from hip-hop to ambient and jazz, showcasing his versatile and inventive spirit.

Sima Cunningham

Armenian-American Sima Cunningham’s musical achievements are becoming too long to list, and are perhaps only matched by her various roles as organizer, curator and events producer throughout Chicago’s performing arts apparatus. She will be performing pieces from her new solo album “High Roller,” as well as showcasing with her bandmates in indie darlings Finom.

Soumir

Eastside Kickoff Concert

St. Louis’ Soumir combines influences as disparate as hard bop and video game scores to build a fresh, vividly eclectic communion of left-field pop & dance. Featuring healthy doses of keytar and voguing, to boot, this newcomer is not to be missed around the Fest.

Steven Senger

Synthesizers, basslines, and heady guitar licks posit Steven Senger’s music as both of the future and past. Equal parts DIY and avant-garde, notions of electronic music are bent and warped, captivating audiences with sonic fluidity.

Takuya Nakamura

The Blue Note Dance Party w/ Takuya Nakamura

While the epithet “mad scientist” is admittedly overworn at this point, there’s few other tags that can succinctly sum up the practice of Tokyo-born iconoclast Takuya Nakamura. Most known for his trademark incorporation of live trumpet play into his chaotic, often viral DJ mixes, the artist sometimes known as Space Tak bridges generations, mediums and techniques to create a singular dance experience that must be seen to be believed.

Tenci

Saturday Night Rose Showcase

Yet another band exemplifying the sheer diversity of Chicagoland’s musical body, it’d be foolhardy to let Tenci lead you into complacency. At once a conduit to showcase lead singer Jess Shoman’s arresting coo, as well as an exhibition of the full quartet’s synchronicity, the Keeled Scales signees flow through modes of country, folk and indie rock with a tact that rewards intentional listenership.

Tri-County Liquidators

Saturday Night Berlin Showcase

Progressive yet catchy, crunchy yet melodic, Columbia’s Tri-County Liquidators offer a fire sale of heady psych rock to lure you from your winter slumber.

Umami

The instantly recognizable moniker of Materia constituent Pajmon Porshahidy, this St. Louis producer’s plays in electronic music arts have catapulted him to the status of both beloved Fest favorite and preeminent Midwest nightlife impresario.

V.V. Lightbody

Hitt Records Sessions

The solo project of Chicago musician Vivian McConnell, V.V.’s music has the essence of a dream state while not shying away from flair. With a timeless sound, velvety vocals, a cache of instruments and clever arrangements, McConnell arrives as the latest representative of the city’s constantly evolving indie scene.

Zeph France

Friday Eastside Happy Hour

Upon one’s initial listen to Zeph’s 2022 album nJOY!, it’s made clear that the Kansas City kid carries a worldview beyond his young age mark. Able to pivot his pen between affectionate hooks and ironclad verses reflecting on life, love, and pain in the modern age, the Mizzou-made rapper typifies the new school of hip-hop at its most contagious.