Bellingham Exit Presents: Cytrus w/ The Free Label

Name: Bellingham Exit Presents: Cytrus w/ The Free Label
Start: 2024-10-11T18:30:00-07:00
Location: The Shakedown

Schedule

Fri Oct 11 2024 at 06:30 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

The Shakedown | Bellingham, WA

Welcome to Bellingham Exit -- now that the seatbelt sign has been turned off, please feel free to exit the ordinary, enter the extraordinary, and move about the cabin.
Full Weekend Bellingham Exit Passes: https://bit.ly/Bham_exit2024

~More on Cytrus~
In the world of music, the term “fusion” tends to raise eyebrows. Yet, the sonic explorers of Seattle octuplet Cytrus have spent the last three years crafting a debut that draws deftly from a broad melodic palette, melding distinct stylistic threads into a cohesive creative voice. Relax, and the grooves will flow through your soul. Concentrate, and you’ll find yourself tumbling through an immaculately constructed alternate reality when melody and rhythm dance hand in hand through spacetime.
Shaped by Jared Squires (guitar/vocals), Luke Nevills (bass/keys), Brandon Hailey (saxophone), Owen Mayo (keys/guitar), Trevor Church (drums), Alex Dean (synth/keys), Sean Connelly (vocals/keys), and Connor Merritt (aux percussion), Cytrus mines psychedelic funk, disco, electronic, rock, soul, hip-hop. Flowing through kaleidoscopic transitions, the band’s juicy synths and brass-powered grooves coalesce into an undeniable, hypnotic wall of sound.

Thematically, the record charts the philosophical, emotional journey from darkness to light. Starting from blissful ignorance, we then grapple with a sense of irrelevance when faced with the enormity of reality. Undeterred, we vow to pursue the search for truth and purpose. Finally, at the nexus of spirituality and psychedelics, we find awakening. “Concentrate is a metaphor of the pursuit of happiness/fulfillment, which we all seek in our personal stories of life” explains Squires. “The “Juice” can be found at the end of that path, but many obstacles can and will stand in the way.”

Ultimately, Concentrate is both the culmination of a creative and spiritual journey and the first step on the long road to musical enlightenment. For a young (figuratively and literally) band to create a piece of art of the depth and breadth of Concentrate betrays both boundless dedication and ambition. Yet, the band comes to their work from a place of humility. “We hope this album inspires likeminded creatives to chase their aspirations in the arts” says Squires. “Be it a desire to draw from past bodies of work we admire, or a yearning contribute to the canon, it is all attainable through persistence and creativity.”

~More on The Free Label~
The Free Label comprises six multi-instrumentalists and vocalists from Toronto, Canada. Their music is a unique fusion of 70s disco, 90s R&B, and high-energy funk, resulting in a captivating, dance-focused show. Their 2019 single "All Night" propelled them to new heights, enabling them to tour internationally. Since then, they have independently toured Europe, North America, and Australia, garnering fans along the way. Noteworthy Canadian festival appearances include Mariposa Folk Festival, Canadian Music Week, Wapiti, and the Calgary Stampede, where they opened for internationally acclaimed artists T-Pain, Aqua, and Lupe Fiasco. They have sold out shows nationwide, from Montreal to Vancouver.
The Free Label's 2023 European tour included performances in the Netherlands, England, and Luxembourg, where they opened for legendary soul group Incognito and R&B/Jazz virtuoso Mono Neon. In the studio, the band has collaborated with Grammy-nominated artists such as saxophonist Braxton Cook, featured on their 2022 release "Shine," and Grammy-nominated producer Aaron Paris (Drake, Kanye West, Kali Uchis), who composed and recorded strings for their latest single, "Real Love." The Free Label's natural chemistry and captivating live performances have made them instant favorites with audiences worldwide. Their blend of technical prowess and crowd engagement leaves a lasting impression on concert-goers everywhere. This band will get you moving.

All tickets are final and non-refundable. | Lineup and schedule subject to change. | We have zero tolerance for violence, racism, transphobia, sexism or other discriminatory language or actions.