Lespecial on Tour
New York by way of Connecticut prog-rock/electronic trio lespecial have forged their own unique musical path, creating what they call "heavy future grooves." Their unique sound combines elements of hip-hop, metal, house, prog, and indie rock, while still being cerebral and danceable at the same time.
Bonding in high school over a mutual love of Primus and Radiohead, the band members enjoyed ambient jams and making bizarre sounds in the basement of guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Grusauskas' house. These basement experiments became lespecial, and the band has since amassed a loyal fanbase, touring the world and performing at renowned venues including Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.
Lespecial's 2020 album, Ancient Homies, received rave reviews from fans and critics alike, including Live for Live Music, which declared, "The band's deft, minimalist approach and exquisite instrumental storytelling makes for definitive juxtapositions and a thrilling expedition." Don't miss your chance to catch these unorthodox musical alchemists in a city near you.
Lespecial Live in Concert
Comprised of Luke Bemand, Jonathan Grusauskas and Rory Dolan, lespecial came together as friends in high school. Grusauskas actually first met Dolan when they were in sixth grade, and was impressed by his spikey bleached-blond hair and Korn t-shirt and the fact that he had his own drum kit. When they met again a few years later in their high school music program, Grusauskas didn't hesitate to jam with Dolan after school and their friend Luke Bemand, who played bass.
While practicing in Grusauskas' basement, they experimented with effects pedals and synth sounds, inspired by their mutual love of a diverse array of artists including The Mars Volta, Miles Davis, and Medeski Martin & Wood. The band took their name as sort of a joke -- they all liked to "communicate" with pedestrians out of car windows and one of them yelled "lespecial boy," and the name stuck.
Nearly a decade later, the band released three albums, 2020's Ancient Homies, released on tastemaking East Coast label Ropeadope Records, as well as Cheen in 2017 and Omnisquid in 2015.
