All Shows

Oct/24 · DEFY Wrestling Presents: WRAITH
Oct/25 · *CANCELED* Kneecap
Oct/26 · Geese – The Getting Killed Tour
Oct/27 · 6ARELYHUMAN
Oct/29 · Night Moves
Oct/31 · *CANCELLED* “The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour Presents 4batz”: Im Still Shinin Tour
Nov/1 · EDEN – Dark Tour
Nov/2 · The New Mastersounds – Ta-Ta For Now Tour
Nov/5 · Blondshell
Nov/7 · Margo Price – Wild At Heart Tour
Nov/8 · Marlon Funaki
Nov/9 · Midnight Til Morning
Nov/10 · Peter McPoland: Big Lucky Tour
Nov/11 · Cut Copy
Nov/12 · SOFIA ISELLA
Nov/13 · Lily Rose – I Know What I Want Tour 2025
Nov/14 · Yaelokre
Nov/15 · hannah bahng: The Misunderstood World Tour
Nov/18 · Lucius
Nov/21 · The Brothers Comatose
Nov/22 · Leith Ross
Nov/28 · CUMBIATRON
Nov/29 · J-Fell and Nite Wave Present: The Cure, Depeche Mode & New Order Tribute Night
Dec/4 · Violent Vira
Dec/6 · Foxwarren
Dec/7 · Redferrin
Dec/10 · Electric Guest
Dec/13 · Earlybirds Club
Jan/11 · The Residents
Jan/16 · An Evening with Keller Williams
Jan/24 · Dogs in a Pile
Jan/26 · *MOVED to the Crystal Ballroom* The Runarounds
Jan/31 · Ruston Kelly – Pale, Through the Window Tour
Feb/2 · Don Broco
Feb/7 · Robyn Hitchcock “Live And Electric – Full Band Shows”
Feb/12 · shame
Feb/19 · BERTHA: Grateful Drag
Feb/21 · Magic City Hippies – Winter Tour 2026
Feb/22 · Dry Cleaning
Feb/26 · clipping.
Mar/4 · Monolink
Mar/14 · yung kai: stay with the ocean, i’ll find you tour
Mar/20 · Donny Benet
Mar/27 · Tophouse
Apr/2 · Mind Enterprises
Apr/28 · Patrick Watson – Uh Oh Tour

All Shows

Upcoming Events

DEFY Wrestling

Friday, October 24
Show : 7 pm
ages 21 +
$63.60 to $129.01
DEFY Wrestling

Friday, October 24
Show : 7 pm
ages 21 +
$63.60 to $129.01

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest Bricknxsty

Saturday, October 25
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$0

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Sunday, October 26
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$40.43 to $121.44

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Showbox Presents

With special guest Dev

Monday, October 27
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$37.08

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest Sam Blasucci

Wednesday, October 29
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $28.84

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Showbox Presents

Friday, October 31
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$0

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Showbox Presents

with special guests greek & DJ Krewes

Saturday, November 1
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 7 pm
all ages
$45.58 to $230.60

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Sunday, November 2
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $62.57

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Wednesday, November 5
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$29.10

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

with special guest Dillon Warnek

Friday, November 7
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $171.08

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest Vika & The Velvets

Saturday, November 8
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $28.84

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Showbox Presents

With special guest Adrian Lyles

Sunday, November 9
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$0 to $192.42

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Monday, November 10
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $142.93

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

with Ora The Molecule

Tuesday, November 11
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $63.60

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Wednesday, November 12
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $58.97

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Showbox Presents

Thursday, November 13
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$37.08

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Holocene Presents

Friday, November 14
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$35.02

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest Mad Tsai

Saturday, November 15
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$46.35 to $200.28

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With Attention Bird Utopia

Tuesday, November 18
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$52.53 to $150.12

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

with Goodnight, Texas

Friday, November 21
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $62.57

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guests Annika Bennett and Noa Jamir

Saturday, November 22
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $52.02

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Friday, November 28
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$28.84

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

J-Fell and Nite Wave Present

Saturday, November 29
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$35.02

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guests ivri and Brayton

Thursday, December 4
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $165.60

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest Hannah Frances

Saturday, December 6
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $63.60

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest Shaylen

Sunday, December 7
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$27.04 to $397.84

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest SNACKTIME

Wednesday, December 10
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$35.43 to $63.60

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Saturday, December 13
Show : 6 pm
ages 21 +
$40.43

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Sunday, January 11
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
ages 21 +
$42 to $51.50

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Friday, January 16
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$0 to $40.43

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui & Soul'd Out Presents

Saturday, January 24
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$27 to $57.94

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Monday, January 26
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$0

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guest verygently

Saturday, January 31
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $183.75

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

With special guests Dropout Kings and sace6 

Monday, February 2
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $52.02

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Saturday, February 7
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
ages 21 +
$27 to $57.94

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Thursday, February 12
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$14.16 to $52.02

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Thursday, February 19
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$27 to $64.12

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Saturday, February 21
Doors : 7:30 pm, Show : 8:30 pm
all ages
$0 to $131.77

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Sunday, February 22
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$27 to $63.60

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Thursday, February 26
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$27 to $35.02

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Wednesday, March 4
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
ages 21 +
$41.35 to $69.27

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Saturday, March 14
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$0

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Friday, March 20
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$27 to $51.50

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Friday, March 27
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$27 to $57.94

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Thursday, April 2
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$24.84 to $40.43

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.

Monqui Presents

Tuesday, April 28
Doors : 7 pm, Show : 8 pm
all ages
$42.90 to $70.30

The idea for Bartees Strange’s new album Horror surfaced suddenly, at an inopportune moment, from somewhere deep within. Strange had just released his debut album Live Forever, and was beginning to write and work on its follow-up Farm to Table, when he received a complete vision for a whole other album. It was a terrifying vision, dripping with bloody truths and gruesome vulnerability. “A record will grab me like that… I will just be living life and then – BOOM – all this music will appear to me and I know I have to record it.,” explains Strange. But creating this album would involve opening a boarded-up door to a closet filled with everything from Strange’s life that he didn’t know how to address. At first, Strange pushed the calling aside and finished up Farm to Table, which was released to much critical acclaim, earning best-of nods from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. However, it would not be long before Horror would rear its monstrous head again.

Bartees Strange was raised on fear. His family told scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started watching scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared. Throughout the record, Strange lays down one difficult truth after another, all over a sonic pastiche of music he loved as a kid. His dad introduced him to Parliament Funkadelic, Fleetwood Mac, Teddy Pendergrass, and Neil Young. Those influences merged with Strange’s interest in hip-hop, country, indie rock, and house, culminating in a record that feels completely original.

Strange began Horror at his home studio and went hard on the production. He did a session with Yves and Lawrence Rothman who provided a rhythmic and sonic backbone for chunks of the record. Then Strange met Jack Antonoff at a music festival by chance and they became fast friends. Strange worked on some material for Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and Antonoff worked on Horror. The twosome finished the record together, working the songs raw, editing, arranging, and dressing them up in clothing bound to inspire fear.

The album opener “Too Much” picks up where the last track on Farm to Table left off, quickly dunking us deep into the inner journey of Horror. “Too Much” is Horror’s thesis statement. It’s a sonic and lyrical love letter from Strange to himself. The song’s protagonist grows from a deflated ego into a feral giant. “You’re too much to hold, some days you’re heaven to touch” Strange sings before being overtaken by an instrumental hook that nods to early hits by the Isleys and the Brothers Johnson. “Sober” hits on one of Strange’s biggest fears — uncertainty in a romance. Poetry of the insecurities floats over the 1970s acoustic guitars, Rhodes piano, and taped-out drums, reflecting on why it’s so hard to stay sober under the scrutiny of one’s own mind. “Wants / Needs” is a song that seeks to shake the fears around being seen by listeners. Strange puts it, “I used to want fans, now I need them – and that’s scary to realize. It’s tough not knowing if you will be liked when you’re doing something you love more than anything.” Strange searches for a place to live and feel safe on the pastoral folk, culture-clasher “Baltimore.” The Phillip Roth-inspired tune culminates with Strange settling in a city that goes unnamed except for in the song’s title.

A closing statement for Horror’s shadow essay exists in the final track “Backseat Banton” — Banton meaning storyteller in Caribbean mythology. In life, Bartees cannot decide whether to be along for the ride or struggle to grasp the steering wheel. “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I was. The darkest side of waking up is seeing who I’ve become. Grace is still a savior, every moment that it comes. I’m reminded of a hopeful me and how fast that I could run.” Strange sings over a particularly tender moment in the song’s bopping alt-pop groove. Scary movies may have been the training ground for young Strange to practice facing fear, but for grown-up Strange, it’s crafting his genre-bending pop songs that manifest the perfect space to laugh in the face of Horror.