The Midnight Hour U.S. Tour 2019
ARTDONTSLEEP | JAZZ IS DEAD PRESENTS:
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Adrian Younge–the pair behind the unforgettable score for the Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage—have announced an extensive North American fall tour for their acclaimed 10-piece ensemble, The Midnight Hour, featuring very special collaborative opening sets from the group’s incredibly talented vocalists Loren Odenand Angela Muñoz, and guitarist Jack Waterson. The Midnight Hour is Black Excellence: an ode to the cultural sophistication that the Harlem Renaissance established for its people. Performing with their jazz rhythm section and an orchestral section, reminiscent of maestros such as David Axelrod and Quincy Jones, The Midnight Hour is sophisticated hip hop.
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September
2 Oakland, CA. Hiero Day
7 Miami, FL. Gramps SOLD OUT
8 Gainesville, FL. Heartwood Sound Stage SOLD OUT
9 Orlando, FL. Iron Cow
11 St Petersburg, FL. The Palladium Theatre
12 Jacksonville, FL. 1904 Music Hall
13 Atlanta, GA. Aisle 5
15 Nashville, TN. City Winery
17 Durham, NC. Motorco Music Hall
18 Charlotte, NC. Amos Southend
20 Asheville, NC. Asheville Music Hall
21 Richmond, VA. The Dark Room Lounge
23 Philadelphia, PA. Johnny Brendas
24 Brooklyn, NY. Brooklyn Bowl
25 Washington D.C. City Winery
26 New Haven, CT. Toads Place
27 Boston, MA. Scullers
28 Ithaca, NY. The Haunt
29 Montreal, Canada Ausgang Plaza
30 Toronto, Canada The Garrison
October
1 Pittsburgh, PA. Club Cafe
2 Chicago, IL. Thalia Hall
3 Columbus, OH. Strongwater
6 St Paul, MN. Turf Club
19 Memphis, TN. Crosstown Arts Theatre
20 Louisville, KY. Jimmy Can’t Dance SOLD OUT! SECOND SET ADDED!
22 St Louis, MO. Firebird
23 Lincoln, NE. Duffy’s Tavern
24 Tulsa, OK. The Vanguard
25 San Antonio, TX. Paper Tiger
26 Austin, TX. Flamingo Cantina
27 Fort Worth, TX., Shipping and Receiving
28 Kansas City, MO. The Record bar
30 Denver, CO. Globe Hall
November
3 Vancouver, Canada Biltmore Cabaret
4 Seattle, WA. Nectar Lounge
5 Portland, OR. Mississippi Studios
6 Eugene, OR. WOW Hall
7 Sacramento, CA. Harlow’s
8 Felton, CA. Felton Music Hall
9 San Jose, CA. School of Arts & Culture at MHP
10 Oakland, CA. New Parish
12 Fresno, CA. Fulton 55
14 Santa Barbara, CA. Soho Restaurant
16 Palm Springs, CA. The Alibi
17 San Diego, CA. Soda Bar
18 Phoenix, AZ The Monarch
19 Las Vegas, NV. Bunkhouse Saloon
21 Los Angeles, CA. Lodge Room
Loren Oden
Born into a musical family in Compton, Ca., Loren Oden grew up in the church. This served as an incredible training ground for Oden, where he not only studied gospel, but secular greats like Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. Being that those icons were bred in the church, Loren discovered sanctity in using his voice as a spiritual guide for love: a way to express his vulnerability, passion and struggles with handling reciprocal affection. Oden’s transparency, or in other words, connection to people is what makes him one of the most captivating vocalists of the modern era.
Oden’s fledgling career gained momentum as a prominent background vocalist for Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Kirk Franklin, Erykah Badu and Neyo, to name a few. Within a couple years, his long-time colleague, composer Adrian Younge, enlisted him as the lead vocalist for the cult classic, Black Dynamite, a blaxploitation parody theatrically released in 2009. This was the beginning of Oden becoming the melodious bedrock of Younge’s psychedelic sound.
Music has allowed him to transcribe his emotional tussles; it’s one of the reasons why Oden sings lead on most of Younge’s melancholy catalog, including but not limited, to The Midnight Hour, Something About April, and Marvel’s Luke Cage (scored alongside Ali Shaheed Muhammad). This is also the reason why Younge has decided to produce Loren’s debut LP, My Heart, My Love. Their collaborations have served as a means for Oden to not only harmonize his story, but to travel the world doing it with extensive touring. Loren has also written and recorded for many artists such as Snoop Dogg, Common, The Delfonics, Ghostface Killah, and Bilal.
Oden strives to vibrate frequencies relatable to lovers from all walks of life: a forgotten tenet derivative of classic black soul. His on-stage performance is empowered with the ability to captivate audiences with mellifluous delivery and acceptance. Be sure to see Oden as he tours with The Midnight Hour this fall.
Angela Muñoz
Angela Munoz, a 17-year-old Los Angeles native, debuts her hypnotic voice with. This prolific artist is a prodigy, writing and singing music beyond her tender years. Her captivating voice carries strength and prowess, cultivated by a myriad of first-hand experiences and training in the art of sound.
At the age of 5, she discovered her distinctive voice and was considered an “Old Soul.” Her inspiration came from her musical home, whereby her parents shared old music videos on VHS. Munoz recalls “Welcome to The Jungle,” by Guns N Roses, as the catalyst that sparked her desire to become a star. She began to play instruments such as guitar and piano. With practice, Munoz began to dominate singing competitions, leaving unexpected audiences in a trance.
Throughout the years, she trained herself by attending a performing arts middle school and high school in the heart of Los Angeles. There, she became obsessed with collecting new and old vinyl. Many of the artists were introduced to her by her older brother (writing partner) Brandon Munoz. As an avid music collector, artists such as Nirvana, Donny Hathaway, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and Cortex began to make an imprint on her sound.
A few years ago, her brother introduced her to Something About April, a record produced by Adrian Younge. The quality of the music left her intrigued. She thought it would be interesting to create a project that encompassed various perspectives, as Younge provides with his analog recordings. Shortly thereafter, she serendipitously found herself working with “The Midnight Hour,” a group comprised of Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (formally of A Tribe Called Quest). In 2018, they debuted her song “Bitches do Voodoo,” on their eponymously titled album The Midnight Hour; they also took Angela on tour, featuring her on NPR’s Tiny Desk.
Angela Munoz is an old soul that finds solace in the sound of an orchestra, turntables, or the randomness that fuels her youthful energy; a prodigy who stands by her uniqueness, even if it doesn’t satisfy the status-quo. She believes the heart of music is emotion and this is where she finds her personal liberty and strength. With her commanding presence, she is destined to become a cannon in music for years to come.
Jack Waterson
Jack Waterson is the acid that Adrian never took as a kid. The result, as you’d expect, is both colorful and dark; full of sonic and musical surprises. The creative relationship they have questions the social order of the United States, yet theirs is a quintessentially American Story: Kindred spirits
Punk rock and hip hop came from the same place, fueled by identical sentiments: people taking the music back, reclaiming it, and finding a new audience. Waterson, primed from the mid-70s Punk scene, began his musical career in ’79 as a founding member of Green on Red. They inspired artists as diverse as My Bloody Valentine, Wilco and Mazzy Star with their records and psychedelic palette. Years later, Waterson continued his influential journey by opening the revered musical instrument store, Future Music, a Los Angeles staple.
In ’99, an 18 year-old Younge realized that he wanted to create music that sounded like the records he was sampling. Unbeknownst to him, he serendipitously wandered into Future Music. It’s there, he realized his dream was possible. Intrigued by the stores focus on pre ’83 equipment, Waterson soon became a mentor in developing Younge’s unique analog sound. They spoke heavily about the importance of vintage equipment and it’s use in creating revolutionary worlds.
During these years, Waterson schooled Younge on psych and art rock; Younge returned the favor by schooling him on Hip Hop, the origins of sampling, and its source music. Together this unlikely duo manifested new revolutionary worlds with Waterson appearing on every Younge album within the last decade.
Adrian Younge presents Jack Waterson is getting lost in the impressionistic and at times jarring world of psychedelia, questioning what is real and challenging to question the role you play in this world. These kindred spirits have created a cinematic psych album with no boundaries. Laced with hip hop breaks and acid rock, their intention is to subvert the designation of what is black vs. white music.