Wow, Okay, Cool and Strega DADA IS CANCELED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER FORECAST. WILL BE RESCHEDULED.
Wow, Okay, Cool produces panicked, boisterous songs that convey an urgency in desperate times. The post-punk project is the handiwork of New Haven-based musicians Tim Fitzpatrick (vocals, synthesizer), Julian Michaels (guitar, backing vocals), Dan Barletta (bass, backing vocals), and CJ Dioguardi (drums). Originally a solo project for Fitzpatrick in 2021, the roster was rounded out in the summer of 2023 by the three stalwarts of the CT DIY punk scene to deliver an explosive live show experience.
Disproportionate Responses, Wow, Okay, Cool’s five song EP released in 2021, is an exploration of the absurdity within late-stage capitalism, mental illness, and American imperialism. Despite these heavy topics, the group brings levity to their songs and an obvious joy for playing it loud and fast, drawing inspiration from both 2000’s post-hardcore and early post-punk. Behind the chaotic exterior, the songs bely a meticulous and nuanced approach. Music blog CT Verses called Disproportionate Responses "an EP that feels like a swift kick to the solar plexus," and "an American answer to Future of The Left," while Issues e-zine described it as “pleasantly difficult to consign to a simple genre tag,” and “dizzying and highly enjoyable,”.
Wow, Okay, Cool's live performances deliver a flurry of wailing screams and hard-hitting hooks, contrasted by the band’s irreverent and loving banter. Fitzpatrick’s affable off-stage personality is starkly contrasted by his manic, furious, and bombastic on-stage performances, which have drawn comparisons to The Blood Brother’s Johnny Whitney, Refused’s Dennis Lyxzen, and comedian Sam Kinison.
Wow, Okay, Cool is now performing throughout the New England and the Tri-State area as they prepare their debut LP, set for release in early 2024.
Strega DADA is a dance-punk band based in New Haven, CT. Founded by visual artist Chelsea Rowe (Vox, Synthesizer), Sound/installation artist Alessandro Maione (Guitar), and Zach Wilder (Drums) in 2022. The band was recently joined by Joe Russo (bass).
The band has one audio documentation of their first live performance at Vol. 2 available to listen to on Bandcamp while they prepare their first release.
As a live act, Strega DADA teeters between written and improvised sections, providing the soundscape for Rowe to squawk like the background of a Martin Denny song between surreal passages of ruminating on oranges and arm-less AI machines come to life as entertainers. The band provides locked-in grooves traversing between progressive rock passages, reggaeton, disco, and noise.