CNY Jazz Virtual Concert Series: SOPHISTAFUNK

Tune into the premiere show produced by CNY Jazz exclusively for Syracuse University students, faculty and staff! This week the featured artist is SOPHISTAFUNK. Access the exclusive YouTube concert here (show starts at 8 p.m.). The show will then be available for up to five days.

SOPHISTAFUNK met in 2007 and rapidly evolved into a national-touring live act. Known for their HUGE sound (created by only three members), the band has won over crowds with a captivating stage presence and tight musicianship. Rooted by old school funk / hip hop, the trio explores electronic dance grooves while infusing each tune with soul and positively charged lyrics. SOPHISTAFUNK is a multi-genre tour de force, jam packed with vintage tones and live instruments. Catch ONE show, and you will be hooked!

For six years, this road warrior band has been hitting the pavement and blowing minds across the United States. They’ve collaborated live with greats spanning Bernie Worrell (Parliament/Talking Heads) to Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce/Dumpstaphunk) and were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives when Gold’s restaurant and music venue, Funk n’ Waffles, was featured on the show on December 25, 2012. Host, Guy Fieri, dug the band so hard, they’ve since played his birthday party in Santa Rosa, CA and became the first band ever to play the International Home and Housewares Convention in Chicago, IL on March 3, 2013, by Fieri’s personal request.

SOPHISTAFUNK will cross the pond in August 2013, when they slay the UK with the internationally acclaimed Syracuse native, Joe Driscoll, and their new album, Freedom Is, will be dropping and dominating iPods within weeks.

The band has played high-profile venues including The Blue Note Jazz Club (NYC), The Boom Boom Room (San Francisco), The Belly Up (Aspen), Brooklyn Bowl (NYC) and more and supported acts including Soulive, G. Love, Foreigner, Trombone Shorty, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, EOTO, Marco Benevento and more. They’ve also gained attention from publications including New York City’s Village Voice and Beyond Race Magazine.

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