Your browser is not supported. For the best experience, use any of these supported browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.
Skip to main content
PayPal Preferred Payments Partner
Beats Antique

World

Beats Antique Tickets

Events3 Results

United States

About

Celebrating its tenth anniversary with its tenth studio release, the Bay Area’s wildly innovative performance dynamo Beats Antique emerges from the studio with a brand new album and stage show to mark the milestone. With legendary sets at some of the most iconic venues and festivals around the world and collaborations with superstars from Les Claypool to Bassnectar, the next chapter in the trio’s story takes them back to a mysterious world.

When multi-instrumentalists David Satori and Tommy Cappel and choreographer Zoe Jakes dove into development of the new Beats Antique era, the concept of Shadowbox emerged. Driven by the infinite wonders of the deceptively simple design, the narrative of shadows and light, of darkness and contrast, of reality and surreality propelled the music and vision into new territory.

Capturing the heart of the Beats Antique sound means skirting that divide between the electric and the acoustic. Balkan melodies strung over crashing cymbals and marching band horn lines run smack into contemporary electronic grooves. It might be the drums and brass or the sweeping psychedelic strings that will take you for a ride down the rails of a steampunk circus. It’s chaos and cacophony on a very tight leash.

All three members shared production duties to harness the sound they first stumbled upon a decade ago: far east meets wild west. Bringing in sarod master Alam Khan (son of Ali Akbar Khan), Jakes was able to take her study of Indian classical dance from the stage to the studio. Russian singer Tatiana Kalmykova resurrected an ancient folk language to evoke a haunting fairy tale that feels at home in the shadows. Beats Antique also recruited rising stars of brass house TOO MANY ZOOZ for the horn-fueled funk and punk central to their sound.

As always, Tommy Cappel focused his efforts on the beats and bass production, while David Satori assembled an armory of stringed, plucked, and bowed instruments from far-flung lands to adorn the low-end foundation. All samples were created live in the studio—a hallmark of the lush warmth of a Beats Antique record.

The Shadowbox stage show will be teased at Red Rocks and Electric Forest before its full unveiling this fall. Taking the theme of shadow play and expanding the concept forward and backward in time, the core members dove deep, influenced by ancient practices of Indonesian shadow puppetry, falling into the world of wayang kulit, the eons-long tradition of storytelling where epic tales unfold into the wee hours of the morning.

Enormous lanterns adorn the stage, casting light upon a maze of curtains where playful new characters dance and fight and rejoice and mourn. Beats Antique is breaking the boundaries of conventional wisdom. Why can’t an electronic music performance encompass a range of emotion?

This isn’t a nuclear-powered laser light show from the ever-intensifying optical arms race of the EDM industry. This is one of the earliest methods of storytelling brought from the past into the present. “The digital is there to enhance the analog,” notes Jakes. “We’re here to tell a story,” Satori adds.

Bringing an album from the shadows of the studio to the brightly lit stage is what Beats Antique does best. These are storytellers for a digital age — equipped with the newest technology and ancient traditions. This is where the Beats meet the Antique.

Reviews

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 171 reviews
  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    A Show Like No Other

    by Big Beats A Fan on 2/12/249:30 CLUB - Washington

    Beats Antique puts on a show like nothing I've ever seen. Each time is new and different and amazing. Had a newbie with us who was blown away. Just incredible!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Speechless!

    by Erik on 12/11/23Amsterdam Bar & Hall - St Paul

    Best show I’ve been to, musical geniuses. The energy was amazing. Will be back to see them again!

  • Rating: 1 out of 5

    A disappointing show from a band I’ve liked.

    by Disappointed on 4/13/22Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    I didn’t know this was a belly dance show before I came. That could have been cool but it was poorly rehearsed and blocked with a wide variety of skill levels dancing. The band was basically just two dudes playing to a track. The light guy was chasing the band the whole time. He did an admirable job but the lack of rehearsal again showed. I doubt I will seek out this band to see live again.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Beats with Balkan Bump

    by Gypcgurl on 4/13/22Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    First time seeing Beats Antique and it was a bit of a shorter show than expected but honestly they are so established and talented that it was a lot of fun regardless. Ive been following their music for over 10 years and just having the opportunity to see them live in a more intimate setting as the Fox Theatre made the show ever more meaningful. What caught me off guard was the Oakland cover band, Balkan Bump, who was absolutely wonderful and generous with their songs and energy. Their musical genious between three unlikely instruments--trumpet, clarinet and sitar--mixing ancient and modern sounds was such a delight. We were completely exhausted from dancing by the time BA appeared.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Beats with a Great Starter Band!

    by Gypcgurl on 4/13/22Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    First time seeing Beats Antique and it was a bit of a shorter show than expected but honestly they are so established and talented that it was a lot if fun. What surprised me most was the cover band who was absolutely wonderful and generous with their songs and energy. We were completely exhausted from dancing by the time BA appeared!

  • Rating: 1 out of 5

    Awful

    by Dmitry on 4/13/22Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    The show originally scheduled in 2021 was set up in April 2022, so I was not able to sell mobile tickets due to the lack of interest and bad ticketmaster usability. Wasted $100

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Always amazing!

    by C. H. on 4/15/19Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Seen them over a dozen times, and always go to their show when they play. They are always spectacular and worth any efforts to go. Have fun!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Vaudeville's legacy in Electronics

    by Hoopie Doo on 2/5/19Saint Andrews Hall - Detroit

    Fabulous fantastic fan dance and feel. The music, the dance, the acts. Ooo-la-la! It Roqs!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Amazing!

    by C. on 2/5/19Saint Andrews Hall - Detroit

    This was seriously an amazing show! Way better than what i was expecting! I really hope they come back to Detroit because id love to go again! Hopefully next time they go to the magic stick! Definitely a better venue but id still go!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    AMAZING.

    by M. S. on 1/29/19South Shore Room at Harrah's Lake Tahoe - Stateline

    Stunning. I will go see them every time they are close.