16th
Ahimsa Benefit
Last week we played the Ahimsa benefit at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC.. shit turned out to be really fun. Personally, it was especially great to finally share the stage with Karsh Kale. A lot is said about Bamboo Shoots being part of a “desi rock movement” - the implication is that we are totally new and distinct, separate from the world / jungle / drum n bass movement that Karsh, Talvin, State of Bengal and so on have lived in.
I can see how people think that, but that’s only half the story. True, bands like Suspicious Brown, My Pet Dragon and Jungli sound nothing like Medieval Punditz or Zakhm, but I know for a fact we spring right out of the same place. Most people don’t know but Karsh basically gave me my start in music. I had moved to NYC trying to “do” music and knew nothing and nobody when I stumbled into him at a party and handed him some tracks I was working on. The next thing I knew he had invited me to play guitar in his band. I remember feeling totally enraptured as a I was introduced to this whole new world of music and people. It’s safe to say if it weren’t for that life changing moment, I would have left NYC empty handed and Bamboo Shoots would definitely not exist.
So anyway it was great to finally see us desi rock kids share an audience with Karsh, DK, DimmSummer and Tina Sugundh and feel it all blend back together. Plus, it all went to a spectacular cause (which u should check out and support).
