BAMBOO SHOOTS
April 11th and 12th : MTV USA's hottest and perhaps the best alternate dance-rock band around‚ Bamboo Shoots : performed LIVE to the swaying of a nubile young crowd that tripped on the bands original line up and their amazing music. The show was opened by Allegro Fudge, another great band with great potential. Bamboo Shoots was a riot on stage,a gig that made the crowds shake their heads and legs. The drummer Ankur got on to percussion, keyboards, drum machine and even a dholak (which he turneds to one side and used like a bongo with sticks!) almost simultaneously. And when you least expected ‚ him to do anything more stunning than that, he broke into some incredible break dance moves!
Kyra on the web: Website | Twitter
Showing posts with label Bangalore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangalore. Show all posts
Friday, May 1, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Exclusive video from Bangalore pre and post-show- We cover "Rock Your Body!" -kinda ;)
First we drove: 5 people. 2 cars. Guitars on top, luggage in the back. Driving to the gig in style. Bangalore, India.- Avir
And then we even after the show, we still played! This clip is after our show at Kyra in Bangalore. Who knew Justin Timberlake was so popular in India. Actually, probably everybody. These girls rocked! - Avir
And then we even after the show, we still played! This clip is after our show at Kyra in Bangalore. Who knew Justin Timberlake was so popular in India. Actually, probably everybody. These girls rocked! - Avir
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Mid-Day Bangalore Interview and Pics!!
Rock and Dhol
By: Namita Gupta
Bangalore:
The energetic and talented five-member American band Bamboo Shoots is on an India tour and their gig at Kyra's opening night has won them a big fan following
Need some ammunition to recover from your 9 to 5 grind? Go jive to some good music. Just like Bob Marley once said, "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain". And when you lend an eager ear to these all-in-their-twenties boys from the band Bamboo Shoots, this is exactly what hits you unadulterated fun that combines high-energy rock with intense originality.
The five-member band of Indian boys, born and raised in the US, comprises Avir Mitra on guitar and vocals, Karl Sukhia on bass, Shiv Puri on drums, Ankur Patel on percussion and Ahmed Mahmoud on guitar.
Does your band have a fairytale beginning?
Avir: Karl and me met before we entered our teens through the Parsi community in Southern New Jersey. We got our guitars when we were about 12 years old and we began playing music together from 2004. We also began writing our own songs.
Shiv: I had already heard some of Avir's songs before I met him through a DJ friend, while I was a student at the Stern School of Business in New York. We started playing music for house parties and wrote for fun under the moniker Bojangles.
Ankur: My brother was a friend of Avir's and introduced me to the group at one of their early practice sessions. I remember I was so passionate about playing the dhol over their songs, that the dhol became a part of our music.
Ahmed: I met the band at Karl's birthday party in 2006. Their guitarist had quit and there I was on the guitar strings.
What kind of music did you want to create when you got together?
The kind of music we wanted to listen to and hear and enjoy. Not something, which we had heard a hundred times. We would like to call it headbobbing, hip shaking.... we have our own take on rock.
Any Indian influences?
Shiv: During our college days we met up in South Jersey on weekends to hone our music and play local gigs. We travelled a few thousand miles to work on music. We have an Indian heritage, but we don't describe ourselves as an Indian-American rock band. We never tried to shoehorn the Indian part of ourselves. We're going mainstream in America and would not like to go through any cultural identity crisis at this stage. Our culture could seep through, but we are into rock music and nothing else.
Karl: You could call us Rock n Dhol instead of Rock n Roll!
Do you write all your songs? And what's your inspiration?
Avir: Karl and I write most of the lyrics. We take inspiration from life itself and its struggles. Sometimes it takes hours to write a good song and sometimes it just happens in an hour. Once Karl broke up with his girl and wanted to write something. So it's various instances like that. They are mostly reflective.
Shiv: Also, the unique thing was that we all grew up to listening to different types of music and artists like Prince, Michael Jackson and the Indian dholak. It was like a stir-fry.
Did you have family support when you started out and did you all complete your education before you took this path?
Shiv: Family support is very important. Avir's parents are doctors and wanted him to be a doctor. But once they saw that he was passionate about what he was doing, they were extremely supportive. It's the same with our parents.
Avir: I attended Brown University for a degree in Biology and was a few months away from commencing medical school when we won the mtvU contest and I chose music over medicine.
Shiv: I received a finance degree from NYU Stern School of Business and quit a job on Wall Street to be in the band full time.
Ahmed: I graduated from William Paterson University with a degree in biology and here I am.
Ankur: I postponed his college degree in civil engineering at Middlesex Community College.
Karl: I have received my degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. I can't straddle careers and I chose music.
Are you trained in classical music?
Avir: We took guitar lessons when we were young. I learnt the saxophone when I was in the 4th grade.
Shiv: I learnt sitar from Ustad Shujaat Khan for many years. I had wanted drums since I was four and begged for them for many years and got them when I was 13. Since then I've been playing.
What's been the highpoint of your work together?
In late 2006 we signed up for the MtvU Best Music on campus contest. In 2007 we were informed that our song Hey Girl had made it to the Top 50. Out of the thousands of participating bands, we were voted amongst the Top 5. Friends and fans voted for us and one fine day we were surprised about our winning the contest, while we were just hanging out at an apartment in Brooklyn. Our big moment was when we were told that we would be playing live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Our sparkling moment came on May 14, 2007 when we performed live on that show. The Conan O'Brien gig was our slice of the grand prize for winning the mtvU and Epic Records Best Music On Campus Artiste of the Year contest. In addition to the late night appearance, we received a promotion video and record deal worth up to $1.5 million. Now we have band managers, lawyers and organisers, who take care of everything and we concentrate on our music.
Tell us about your first album for which you're touring the world?
Bamboo Shoots signed up with Epic Records in the summer of 2007. In October 2007 we left New York for Sausalito, CA where we began working with producer Jerry Harrison from Talking Heads on our debut, which was completed by March 2008, which was later mixed at Chalice Studios in Los Angeles and mastered by Brian Gardner. The album, titled Armour, is releasing this year. We're on our first India music tour and have performed at Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and now Bangalore.
Other passions besides music?
Long drives. And, all of us love to cook Indian food. Log on to www.myspace.com/bambooshoots to listen to their music
Making work fun
Bamboo Shoots dropped by MiD DAY yesterday. Natural performers, they broke into a spirited rendition of Hey Girl, a song from their debut album. Amazed by the "sounds of India" but bewildered by the ban on dancing in pubs, they confessed they were horrified when the local police burst in on their performance at Kyra. They told us they were open to all influences, and were impressed by a Kannada song they heard on FM. Hip hop and rock are, of course, big influences.
By: Namita Gupta
Bangalore:
The energetic and talented five-member American band Bamboo Shoots is on an India tour and their gig at Kyra's opening night has won them a big fan following
Need some ammunition to recover from your 9 to 5 grind? Go jive to some good music. Just like Bob Marley once said, "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain". And when you lend an eager ear to these all-in-their-twenties boys from the band Bamboo Shoots, this is exactly what hits you unadulterated fun that combines high-energy rock with intense originality.
The five-member band of Indian boys, born and raised in the US, comprises Avir Mitra on guitar and vocals, Karl Sukhia on bass, Shiv Puri on drums, Ankur Patel on percussion and Ahmed Mahmoud on guitar.
Does your band have a fairytale beginning?
Avir: Karl and me met before we entered our teens through the Parsi community in Southern New Jersey. We got our guitars when we were about 12 years old and we began playing music together from 2004. We also began writing our own songs.
Shiv: I had already heard some of Avir's songs before I met him through a DJ friend, while I was a student at the Stern School of Business in New York. We started playing music for house parties and wrote for fun under the moniker Bojangles.
Ankur: My brother was a friend of Avir's and introduced me to the group at one of their early practice sessions. I remember I was so passionate about playing the dhol over their songs, that the dhol became a part of our music.
Ahmed: I met the band at Karl's birthday party in 2006. Their guitarist had quit and there I was on the guitar strings.
What kind of music did you want to create when you got together?
The kind of music we wanted to listen to and hear and enjoy. Not something, which we had heard a hundred times. We would like to call it headbobbing, hip shaking.... we have our own take on rock.
Any Indian influences?
Shiv: During our college days we met up in South Jersey on weekends to hone our music and play local gigs. We travelled a few thousand miles to work on music. We have an Indian heritage, but we don't describe ourselves as an Indian-American rock band. We never tried to shoehorn the Indian part of ourselves. We're going mainstream in America and would not like to go through any cultural identity crisis at this stage. Our culture could seep through, but we are into rock music and nothing else.
Karl: You could call us Rock n Dhol instead of Rock n Roll!
Do you write all your songs? And what's your inspiration?
Avir: Karl and I write most of the lyrics. We take inspiration from life itself and its struggles. Sometimes it takes hours to write a good song and sometimes it just happens in an hour. Once Karl broke up with his girl and wanted to write something. So it's various instances like that. They are mostly reflective.
Shiv: Also, the unique thing was that we all grew up to listening to different types of music and artists like Prince, Michael Jackson and the Indian dholak. It was like a stir-fry.
Did you have family support when you started out and did you all complete your education before you took this path?
Shiv: Family support is very important. Avir's parents are doctors and wanted him to be a doctor. But once they saw that he was passionate about what he was doing, they were extremely supportive. It's the same with our parents.
Avir: I attended Brown University for a degree in Biology and was a few months away from commencing medical school when we won the mtvU contest and I chose music over medicine.
Shiv: I received a finance degree from NYU Stern School of Business and quit a job on Wall Street to be in the band full time.
Ahmed: I graduated from William Paterson University with a degree in biology and here I am.
Ankur: I postponed his college degree in civil engineering at Middlesex Community College.
Karl: I have received my degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. I can't straddle careers and I chose music.
Are you trained in classical music?
Avir: We took guitar lessons when we were young. I learnt the saxophone when I was in the 4th grade.
Shiv: I learnt sitar from Ustad Shujaat Khan for many years. I had wanted drums since I was four and begged for them for many years and got them when I was 13. Since then I've been playing.
What's been the highpoint of your work together?
In late 2006 we signed up for the MtvU Best Music on campus contest. In 2007 we were informed that our song Hey Girl had made it to the Top 50. Out of the thousands of participating bands, we were voted amongst the Top 5. Friends and fans voted for us and one fine day we were surprised about our winning the contest, while we were just hanging out at an apartment in Brooklyn. Our big moment was when we were told that we would be playing live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Our sparkling moment came on May 14, 2007 when we performed live on that show. The Conan O'Brien gig was our slice of the grand prize for winning the mtvU and Epic Records Best Music On Campus Artiste of the Year contest. In addition to the late night appearance, we received a promotion video and record deal worth up to $1.5 million. Now we have band managers, lawyers and organisers, who take care of everything and we concentrate on our music.
Tell us about your first album for which you're touring the world?
Bamboo Shoots signed up with Epic Records in the summer of 2007. In October 2007 we left New York for Sausalito, CA where we began working with producer Jerry Harrison from Talking Heads on our debut, which was completed by March 2008, which was later mixed at Chalice Studios in Los Angeles and mastered by Brian Gardner. The album, titled Armour, is releasing this year. We're on our first India music tour and have performed at Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and now Bangalore.
Other passions besides music?
Long drives. And, all of us love to cook Indian food. Log on to www.myspace.com/bambooshoots to listen to their music
Making work fun
Bamboo Shoots dropped by MiD DAY yesterday. Natural performers, they broke into a spirited rendition of Hey Girl, a song from their debut album. Amazed by the "sounds of India" but bewildered by the ban on dancing in pubs, they confessed they were horrified when the local police burst in on their performance at Kyra. They told us they were open to all influences, and were impressed by a Kannada song they heard on FM. Hip hop and rock are, of course, big influences.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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
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
Monday, April 13, 2009
Day off in Bangalore
today is our day off in bangalore. we just got done an interview with midday newspaper here. they gave us flowers at the end, no joke. - Avir
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Featured in Deccan Chronicle Bangalore!
Rock band Bamboo Shoots are performing in India for the first time. Here’s a lowdown on them...
by Rhik Kundu
They are the only band with members of Indian origin to win MTV USA, Best Music on Campus contest, back in 2006. Three years later, Bamboo Shoots is in their land of origin for a series of concerts. These live performances will take place in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai and our very own Bengaluru where it is scheduled to be held on April 11 and 12. With four musicians — Avir Mitra, Karl Sukhia, Shiv Puri, Ankur Patel hailing from India and one Ahmed Mahmoud of Egyptian origin, the band is all set for rock the desi audience.
“Pop music you would like to rock out to” is the term used by the band to describe their genre of music. Influenced by the likes of Michael Jackson, INXS, Police and Foo Fighters, the band is popular in the US for their dueling two-person rhythm section, their South Asian identity and influence. Their current Indian tour also happens to be their first international tour. “We are looking forward to connecting with people through our music. We would like to hang out with them and get a positive response,” says Shiv Puri, a member of the band.
Bamboo Shoots started off as a college band representing Middlesex College. But, winning the MTV contest gave them a glimpse of fame. But, this didn’t come without competition. “At the MTV contest there were more than 1600 registered bands competing for the laurels. We were lucky to win at such a huge competition,” says Shiv. They feel that a whole new world of opportunities opened up after the competition. They were signed by Epic Records in the summer of 2007. As a result, Armour, their debut album is all set to hit the market this summer.
Also, greats of the music world like Jerry Harrison from Talking Heads and Spike Stent associated with Madonna, Britney Spears and Maroon 5 were associated with the band for their debut album, thanks to their record deal with Epic.
The band is eagerly looking forward to their Bengaluru show. Only Shiv has been to the city as a kid. But, they are positive about making an impact. “We are expecting a nice young crowd and a good turnout,” he says.
by Rhik Kundu
They are the only band with members of Indian origin to win MTV USA, Best Music on Campus contest, back in 2006. Three years later, Bamboo Shoots is in their land of origin for a series of concerts. These live performances will take place in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai and our very own Bengaluru where it is scheduled to be held on April 11 and 12. With four musicians — Avir Mitra, Karl Sukhia, Shiv Puri, Ankur Patel hailing from India and one Ahmed Mahmoud of Egyptian origin, the band is all set for rock the desi audience.
“Pop music you would like to rock out to” is the term used by the band to describe their genre of music. Influenced by the likes of Michael Jackson, INXS, Police and Foo Fighters, the band is popular in the US for their dueling two-person rhythm section, their South Asian identity and influence. Their current Indian tour also happens to be their first international tour. “We are looking forward to connecting with people through our music. We would like to hang out with them and get a positive response,” says Shiv Puri, a member of the band.
Bamboo Shoots started off as a college band representing Middlesex College. But, winning the MTV contest gave them a glimpse of fame. But, this didn’t come without competition. “At the MTV contest there were more than 1600 registered bands competing for the laurels. We were lucky to win at such a huge competition,” says Shiv. They feel that a whole new world of opportunities opened up after the competition. They were signed by Epic Records in the summer of 2007. As a result, Armour, their debut album is all set to hit the market this summer.
Also, greats of the music world like Jerry Harrison from Talking Heads and Spike Stent associated with Madonna, Britney Spears and Maroon 5 were associated with the band for their debut album, thanks to their record deal with Epic.
The band is eagerly looking forward to their Bengaluru show. Only Shiv has been to the city as a kid. But, they are positive about making an impact. “We are expecting a nice young crowd and a good turnout,” he says.
Update from Karl- Dirty Dancing in Bangalore
I feel like Patrick Swayze today. No im not feathering my mullet or trying to communicate from the dead with Demi Moore, but I can relate to the ways of the Swayz. Basically we played the opening show at this amazing theatre (Kyra) in Bangalore, great sound, great vibe, amazing stage, and no dancing allowed. Yea, for real, in all of Bangalore, no mofuckin dancing. They warned us before we played not to ask the audience to even stand out of their chairs, under threat of a week long stay in jail. The nice part was that they gave us that talk while we dined at the resteraunt below the theatre eating a meal prepared by a Michelin Star chef, which did make the news a little less bitter to swallow. Anyways, we took the stage, did our thing, and the audience did theirs. It started slow, first bodies swayed in their chairs, then people at their tables getting out of their chairs for a few seconds at a time, and finally chairs were brought to the front of the stage where people went as crazy as possible while still seated. Then the screaming. Oh the screaming... it was like some Beatles shit, girls shreiking so loudly they were drowning us out, no lie. The security started to threaten people with arrest, but they simply wouldnt stop. It was beautiful, all that repressed emotion finding its way to the surface like lava tearing open a mountain top. Of course there were repercussions. This morning we were awoken with several calls, basically letting us know that even though we were great, we cant play our show tonight with our full setup. Its gotta be essentially drum-less, stripped down, and "less sexy and provocative". But Bangalore is amazing, people find ways to keep the party going after the clubs close (at 11!). We had a whole bunch of folks come back to our hotel, after we picked up some beer n whisky which was aquired on a quiet overpass after a call to the booze dealer and dropped off to us like a kilo of something far more potent. We're about to head out to a secret party now at some place called the beach (the party starts at 2pm) which those screaming girls invited us out to... mid-day fun, and some more dirty dancing.
-Karl
-Karl
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Update on Bangalore and Kolkata from Avir
just got back from back 2 back shows. bangalore just got done. kyra. its a brand new club. we learned today that it was supposed to open next week but when they heard we were coming they hired more people and got it up and running for tonight. apparently they put up the windows only a few hours before we arrived. it was rad. especially because you arent allowed to dance in bangalore! and clubs must close by 11!!! but it sort of made for a fun time as everyone tried their hardest not to dance (like dancing while holding their chairs so they werent leaving their seats). i also had a wireless mic so i got to run around the venue like a dumbass and stand on chairs and sort of get in trouble. the crowd ended up playing along with spoons. long story. we have video somewhere...
last night was kolkata - also sick. small little rock cub where u cant breathe type thing. the crowd was super super enthusiastic. i had a whole bunch of my family there. it was fun.
i havent slept in forever. after the kolkata show we had a flight at 6am. so we stayed up in the hotel, sang with these philipina karaoke singers and headed straight to the airport. from there straight to soundcheck in bangalore. day before we went to like 2 afterparties in mumbai after our show at blue frog so we didnt sleep then either. now im sitting here in our hotel where we're having a little after party. whiskey, soda, and potato chips. sorry if im not making sense. im about to knock out.
night night
avir
last night was kolkata - also sick. small little rock cub where u cant breathe type thing. the crowd was super super enthusiastic. i had a whole bunch of my family there. it was fun.
i havent slept in forever. after the kolkata show we had a flight at 6am. so we stayed up in the hotel, sang with these philipina karaoke singers and headed straight to the airport. from there straight to soundcheck in bangalore. day before we went to like 2 afterparties in mumbai after our show at blue frog so we didnt sleep then either. now im sitting here in our hotel where we're having a little after party. whiskey, soda, and potato chips. sorry if im not making sense. im about to knock out.
night night
avir
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Venue correction for show April 12th- Kyra, not Opus
Hey all, just wanted to let you know that the show April 12th will be at Kyra in Bangalore, not Opus. That means we're playing two nights at Kyra, so if you don't see us the first night, come the second, and if you see us the first night, come the second and bring some friends!!
More pics to come soon!
More pics to come soon!
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