The idea behind Austin’s Golden Dawn Arkestra is pretty free-form: bandleader Topaz McGarrigle started it as a way to soundtrack an imaginary movie, inviting a different cast of musicians for each show. Soon, the Arkestra took on dancers and costumes, and the concerts turned into psychedelic spectacles. The visual aspects are perfect accompaniment to the Arkestra’s blend of jazz, Afrobeat, and funk, and they (unsurprisingly) tapped resident genre-hopper Adrian Quesada to producer their self-titled debut EP, which came out last year. They’re bringing the weirdness to Map Jam this weekend, and for today’s song of the day, we’re going back to their electric Studio 1A performance from last year. “Afropocalypse” will give you a taste of the frequency these Austinites are on–cosmic jazz never sounded so fun.
–Art Levy
Catch Golden Dawn Arkestra at Pan Am Park on Saturday at 6 p.m. as part of Map Jam 2015. Also, be sure to tune into their eclectic guest DJ episode here.
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