Free Samples of Beat 'n' Soul - JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, the Sights Play at Euclid Records Nov. 6

The first annual Beat ‘n’ Soul Festival is happening next Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6 at Off Broadway, and Euclid Records is excited to bring two of the bands in to play special free live performances in the store on Saturday. The premier Chicago soul band JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound will perform at 3 pm, Saturday Nov. 6, followed by a special acoustic performance by Detroit garage rockers the Sights. Euclid Records is located at 601 E. Lockwood in Webster Groves.

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound are not a typical soul revival band, though they definitely pull influences from the golden age of 60s soul music and early 70s funk. The band writes some of the most interesting new songs of any genre, and has garnered immense numbers of new listeners by turning “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by the indie rock superstars Wilco into a soulful, danceable funk number. Based in Chicago, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound have collaborated with artists as disparate as soul legend Syl Johnson and Dan Britney of indie oddballs Tortoise. There will be room to cut the rug in front of the Euclid Records stage – it’s challenging to hold still in front of these guys.



The Sights played Euclid Records in May, and their exciting, rip-roaring rock will soon be featured on the first 10” record to come out of the Euclid Sessions series. But it turns out that, as fearsome as they can be when revving up their guitars really loud, the Sights have just as much to offer in a quieter acoustic mode. This will be a rare opportunity to catch a different side of one of America’s best rock’n’roll bands.

The JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound set will be recorded for the Euclid Sessions series, and will result in yet another limited-edition 45-rpm single early next year. Euclid Records has a website devoted to the series: www.euclidsessions.com. Here you can find out about upcoming in-store events, read up on past events, subscribe to the series or order/pre-order upcoming 45's.

The Beat ‘n’ Soul Festival, sponsored in part by Euclid Records, takes place Nov. 5 & 6 at Off Broadway. The Friday line-up includes The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, the Bo-Keys, the Beatdowns, River City Tanlines, and Northbrook Garage. The Saturday line-up includes the Fleshtones, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, the Sights, Mondo Topless, and the Nevermores. The festival’s website is www.beatnsoul.com.