E.J. Strickland "Transient Beings"
Bar LunÀtico486 Halsey Street, New York 11233
E.J. Strickland brings his Transient Beings project to Bar LunÀtico for two sets, leading from the drums with Sarah Elizabeth Charles on vocals and effects, Gregg Fine and Mike Moreno on guitar, and Rashaan Carter on electric bass. The electric band is built around music and lyrics by Strickland, with a palette spanning funk, hip-hop, Afrobeat and fusion, and a stated focus on the limited time people share on Earth.
The drummer and composer has performed and recorded with Cassandra Wilson, Terence Blanchard, Lizz Wright, Wynton Marsalis and others. As a bandleader, he released In This Day and The Undying Spirit; DownBeat's Brian Zimmerman wrote that the latter “positively glows,” crediting Strickland's ability to draw the best from his fellow musicians.
A basement club in Bedford-Stuyvesant, LunÀtico is a musician-owned space where live music starts at 9pm nightly, following dinner service. The stage is modest, with a single chair for the band, and the audience sits on wooden booths or the floor, close enough to feel the energy. The room is lit by dim bulbs, with walls lined with vintage posters and a few well-worn speakers. There's a bar with original cocktails, craft beer, and wine, and a dinner menu available from 6pm to 11pm. Shows are donation-based, with a $10 recommendation in cash. It's a place where people listen to music and talk afterward, in a familiar, unpolished setting.