Samurai Pizza Cats
Ronkonkoma, NY | Established. Jan 01, 2010 | SELF | AFTRA
Music
Press
On Wednesday, June 13th, I got to experience one of the best shows I’ve been to since starting this blog. Bumpin Uglies, Tropidelic and Samurai Pizza Cats tore apart Amityville Music Hall! Every band came on stage ready to play their hearts out. The bands were animated and engaging, the crowd was lively, and the music was amazing. If you haven’t of any of these three bands that you are sorely missing out!
The night started off with Samurai Pizza Cats, a Long Island Ska/Punk/Reggae/Funk. The band consists of Travis Ryan (guitar/vocals), Frank Stark (keyboard/organ/trombone/vocals), LT Christie (bass/vocals), Kevin Peterson (lead guitar), Timmy Diaz (drums/vocals), Jimmy Hayes (trumpet/vocals), Mike Alvarez (tenor sax), Andrew Smith (baritone sax), and Mike Reilly (trombone). If you’ve ever been to a show at Amityville Music Hall you are probably thinking exactly what I thought when I first saw the band take the stage; “How the hell are they going to make it work with nine guys on stage?!” Luckily for us, Samurai Pizza cats killed it and made a fan out of me and the rest of the crowd!
Samurai Pizza Cats had an action packed set that included songs both from their early releases and their most recent EP, “Anxiety”, that was released this year. When you listen to the band’s discography, you can hear the growth the band has gone through from the beginning to now. This growth was clearly evident in their performance. The set began with songs from their 2013 release, “Cheers”. The band’s performance of the songs Mirror Mirror, S.O.L., and Out of Sight sound much clearer and more defined during this live performance than when they were recorded years ago. The band amped up their sound with edgier instrumentals and vocals. When they performed Mirror Mirror, the lead song for the night, the crowd’s energy immediately picked up. The jam session that bridges the chorus and the verses were so well played. The sound from each horn was amplified through the music hall. Have you ever heard an instrumental that resonates with you so much that you can’t help but smile and dance to the rhythm? Samurai Pizza Cats does exactly that!
I have to give Samurai Pizza Cats so much credit for putting on the performance they did. How they were able to fit nine guys on stage AND have every band member dancing and moving around still baffles me. The energy they put forth during their performances will ensure that they skyrocket to the top. Similar to ska bands such as Streetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake and reggae bands like Dirty Heads and Sublime, Samurai Pizza Cats is sure to build a substantial following that will see them reach great success.
Samurai Pizza Cats ended their set with Barb and Paris, two songs from their 2018 release. The band knew exactly what their fans wanted to hear and made sure they made it a memorable night. During these final two songs, everyone in the crowd was singing and dancing along with the band! With just one performance, Samurai Pizza Cats turned me into a HUGE fan. Their originality and nonstop energy is something that every band should strive to duplicate. Make sure you check out Samurai Pizza Cats when they play at Great South Bay Music Festival on July 13th along side Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads and Less Than Jake! - The After Hours Review
Discography
Cheers (2013)
Bar Monkey EP (2015)
Anxiety EP (2018)
Photos
Bio
The Samurai Pizza Cats continue to quickly progress in the sprawling alternative-punk scene while rocking festival stages and being direct support for some of the biggest names in their genre such as Yellowcard and The Toasters. With a crass, comical and thinly veiled message that flips a throbbing middle finger to the problems of modern society; S.P.C. is bringing their message to the the masses with as much zeal and appeal as their influences, while being relevant, original and fresh.
Now, with a fan base that is exponentially growing, the Cats are hitting the road once again this spring with a new video and release through The Orchard; for a substantial jump in their status while capitalizing on their buzz. For this release titled ‘Anxiety’ and subsequent tour the Cat’s focus will be to return to some of the cites and towns they’ve played, while infecting new audiences as well.
The ‘Binge Thinking’ tour promises to bring a new hard hitting salvo of the Cat’s super catchy and pulsing horn-infused rock to throngs of fools and ghouls for the genre. And don’t worry, new just means different, but one can expect any and all Samurai Pizza Cats performances to be accompanied by the...a-hem...colorful, Nick Swardsonian and spontaneous banter these boys are known for.
Catch the Samurai Pizza Cats at your local litter-box and don’t worry about the mess.
Band Members
Links
