In DNA Bangalore!

New York minute

Ah the pleasures of international gigs in plush lounges! And let the city brood over nightlife deadlines, Bangalore continues to be one of the best cities to catch some phoren talent, at least as far as music is concerned

Shruti Goutham

g_shruti@dnaindia.net

They feel "honoured" to be playing in the city. An often heard statement as international bands and DJs come down to this city to perform, across various venues that range from nightclubs, amphitheatres, stages and even lounge bars. That's the magic of the city. Give them something musical and the entire city laps it up. Be it tickets worth Rs 100, Rs 5,000 or even free — the audience is discerning and loves any kind of show that makes it here.

The latest on the list is Bamboo Shoots, a New York-based five-piece band that's performing in the country for the first time and put Bangalore on their map as well. And the venue that's grabbed their time is the newest arena on the block — Kyra, where they are performing tonight. Split over different levels, Kyra comes with quite a unique concept. Apart from their fine-dining area, they also have a dedicated space for performances. Dipali Sikand, proprietor of Kyra, says that one can have a debate there if they wanted to as long as it was interesting. But they are not the only ones headhunting.

Hard Rock Café had recently played host to the Canadian alternative rock band Low Level Flight, which apparently had a great time singing to the audience. Opus is known to have live gigs often and their range of shows cover everything — from desi to international.

And while cops come down on places to prevent any kind of 'live' band, Bangaloreans continue to rock!
Coming to the band, Bamboo Shoots might be from everything American, but they'd rather sell themselves as one with an Asian identity.

Avir Mitra, Carl Sukhiya, Shiv Puri, Ankur Patel and Ahmed Mahumoud, are the partners in rhyme and are also credited for being one of MTV US's hottest artists. So if you like them at Kyra, you can look forward to their new album Armour, which will release soon.

Now all we need are a few more great places that open their doors to music. Perhaps then, Bangalore will have its true music back.

To catch Bamboo Shoots, at Kyra theatre, Katti-ma Centre, 100 Feet Road Indiranagar, tonight, call 43419999 for detailsBelt it out: Bamboo Shoot at a performance