A longtime mainstay of the Chicago independent music scene, drummer John Herndon boasts an extraordinarily eclectic and far-ranging discography, but remains best-known for his work as a member of post-rock innovators Tortoise. Born and raised in Asheville, NC, Herndon relocated to Chicago in 1985, where he spent the remainder of the decade drumming for indie rock combo Precious Wax Droppings; from there, he spent a year with noise pop favorites Poster Children before mounting Tortoise (previously Mosquito) in 1990 with Eleventh Dream Day bassist Doug McCombs. | The Mattson 2 ~ feat. John Herndon (Tortoise) & Tommy Guerrero + The Ferocious Few ~ $10 ~ 7:00pm If you could soundtrack the jangle of the sea and the jazz of the surf, The Mattson 2 would most certainly be the composers. The identical twin guitar and drums duo are truly a marvel of jazz-rock orchestration and arrangement. The duo shimmers and shakes with the soaring modern wizardry of Jared Mattson's untamed, layered guitars and Jonathan Mattson's tribal jazz hard- bop drumming. They channel the gorgeously hypnotic gods of surf, sun, and neon-punk-jazz of our modern universe, evoking evolved realms of experimentalism, rhythm, and story. The identical twin’s deep telepathic kinship navigates colorful forms of beautiful weirdness and exotic landscapes of layered improvisation, transcending the concept of modern musical performance. They have toured relentlessly throughout Japan, Brazil, Paris, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, and the United States. The Mattson 2 have Bachelor’s degrees in Jazz and The African Diaspora from University of California San Diego, and Masters of Fine Arts degrees in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology from University of California Irvine. Mattson 2 have collaborated with Thomas Campbell, Ray Barbee, Tommy Guerrero, Cornelius, Chocolat & Akito Katayose, Money Mark, Nicole Mitchell, Mark Dresser, Farmer Dave Scher, John Herndon, and John McEntire. After his success in the world of skateboarding, Guerrero decided to pursue his musical interests and was a member of the skate rock band Free Beer and the experimental group Jet Black Crayon; however, Guerrero's work as a solo artist has so far been the most commercially and critically successful.[citation needed] Guerrero's critically acclaimed albums, EPs, and singles incorporate various types of music, from rock, hip hop, and funk, to soul, and jazz. |
The Ferocious Few - “…this duo whips up a carnal excitement that simply electrifies every place they perform, they are set to take over the world as if it was their very own street corner.” - Spinning Platters http://the-ferocious-few.com/ |