Official Press release:
Ithaca Underground presents an all ages concert with The Gunpoets, Cattle Drums, Rejouissance, BRIAN!, Rye n' Clover, and Hiroshima Vacation

The Haunt, 702 Willow Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850
Saturday, February 4th from 5PM - 10PM
Sliding scale cover of $5-$25 to raise funds for Ithaca Underground's 501c3 non-profit application.
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Over the last several years, Ithaca Underground has become one of the cornerstones of Ithaca's music community by booking and promoting creative and ambitious music events, integral work with local and regional bands, DIY ethics, and emphasis on all ages shows.

Now, the next chapter in the IU story is being written as the organization applies to become a 501c3 non-profit in an attempt to create a sustainable, on-going presence in the community.

To usher in this next era, Ithaca Underground, McNeil Music of Ithaca, Angry Mom Records, and The Haunt present a genre-diverse line-up on Saturday, February 4th at 5PM. This first-ever Ithaca Underground Fundraiser will help finance the 501c3 non-profit application process of this important next step.

Headlining are The Gunpoets, one of Ithaca's premier live acts, who have earned their elder status through years of high-energy, new school hip-hop shows. Powerful, positive, peaceful and at times political, The Gunpoets seamlessly fuse hip-hop with pop, rock, soul and funk to bring the world their own unique flavor. Heavy bass, hard hitting drums, silky smooth keys and sexy guitar licks slam with the MC skills of Rising Sun and Jayhigh. Throw in DJ Double A's slick turntable work and you've got an unstoppable, head-nodding force.

Cattle Drums from Oneonta, NY are a melodic and technically proficient blend of post-punk and emotional hardcore, hints of math-rock and Americana, and the surreal lyrics of vocalist (and former Monster Machismo drummer) Sam Judd.

Rejouissance were born in Syracuase, NY, with primary songwriter and guitarist/vocalist Jim Heffernan now residing in Brooklyn. The project has evolved from its members' post-hardcore and acoustic roots into a full fledged three-guitar driven rock-ensemble and riff factory.

Ithaca-based BRIAN! create compositions stemming from the worlds of avant-garde and prog-rock. Founded by Devid Resig on amplified bassoon and Ithaca Underground's own Bubba Crumrine on guitar, bass, electronics and voice; the group will debut its new trio line-up with Willie B (Neko Case, Johnny Dowd) behind the kit.

Banjo-punk troubadour Rye n' Clover and grindcore duo Hiroshima Vacation will kick things off in traditional IU fashion.



Key points:
- Saturday, February 4th
- Ithaca Underground promoted event
- Featuring The Gunpoets, Cattle Drums, Rejouissance, BRIAN!, Rye n' Clover, and Hiroshima Vacation
- The Haunt, 702 Willow Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850
- $5 - $25 sliding scale cover
- To raise funds for 501c3 application



Ithaca Underground was founded by Jayme Peck in 2007, aimed to foster a sustainable punk scene in Ithaca -- not necessarily "punk" strictly in terms of genre and aesthetic, but in ethic and attitude. The goal was to establish an environment that encourages creativity and uniqueness in a setting where all are safe and equal, and above all, to present an affirming, alternative arena for local bands and musicians whose muse lies a bit left of center from the majority of those in the limelight elsewhere in the Ithaca music community.

The first shows found a home at No Radio Records and other, even less conventional spaces and spanned the gammit of punk, hardcore, metal and experimental genres (The Low Budgets, The Wayward, Fairway, Human Host, Rejouissance) - while encouraging others to start bands and to set up shows as well.

In summer 2008, Bubba Crumrine entered to handle booking for IU, promoting 11 shows in the final 5 months of the year with the likes of Cobra Skulls, Mose Giganticus, Ho-Ag, Static Radio NJ, and even Svarte Greiner from Norway with help from young local acts.

2009 brought IU into the Ithaca public eye with over 50 all ages shows across The Haunt, The Shop, CSMA and elsewhere. Top-quality underground touring acts like Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Kylesa, The Menzingers, Tera Melos, Intronaut, Lemuria, Such Gold, Zs, Rosetta, Kayo Dot, Junius, and Black Cobra were common. A boom in the diversity of creative, young local talent and blooming relationships with scenes in Binghamton and Syracuse encouraged a co-operative underground music community in Central NY.

In December, IU launched its inaugural BIG DAY IN - a twice annual all-ages, ten-hour festival at The Haunt which combines talent from local, regional, and national underground communities for IU's premier events of the year.

Continuing to encourage unity and an integrated music community in Ithaca, IU partnered with music promotion organizations such as Cornell University's Fan Club Collective, Deep Beatz, Popcorn Youth, and others, while helping young bands and individuals learn the ropes to book and promote their own shows. By summer 2011, IU even had their own stage at Ithaca Festival.

Their reputation as a solid booking option for Ithaca spread nationally and beyond, promoting shows with such underground favorites as The Queers, Marnie Stern, Defiance Ohio, Algernon Cadwallader, Magrudergrind plus Japan's Melt-Banana and a handful of acts from Germany, France, and Canada.

Ithaca Underground continue to set a benchmark for booking from the heart, encourage a youth emphasis, and bringing in fresh, up and coming artists supporting themselves on the road.

In the fall of 2011, Crumrine established the Ithaca Underground Advisory Board with longtime underwriters Eric Laine (McNeil Music of Ithaca owner) and George Johann, (Angry Mom Records owner), and local musician/Silent City Distro founder Ryan Clover with the purpose of officially designating Ithaca Underground as a 501c3 non-profit organization.

Now, Ithaca Underground is calling on the community it so proudly serves to contribute financially to help fund this application process, ensuring that IU will continue to provide superb, all-ages shows that won't be seen anywhere else!