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The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis

  • June 19, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance

    2980 New York 66
    Chatham, New York 12037
Ticket Price $12.50-$110.00 Buy Tickets
Description

“This meeting of punk and jazz heavyweights sidesteps contemporary trends; instead we’re treated to four players finding common ground as they slip between genres.” – Pitchfork

Groundtone weekend’s second evening is set aflame with this powerhouse group. Seamlessly weaving between punk rock to free jazz and funk, these masters of their respective genres fuse effortlessly and their chemistry is contagious. 


The Messthetics, a fusion trio featuring the inimitable rhythm section from post-punk band Fugazi Brendan Canty (drums) and Joe Lally (bass) – and Anthony Pirog (guitar), join forces with jazz saxophone giant and 2026 Guggengheim Fellow James Brandon Lewis (declared a “pathfinder in jazz” by the New York Times and one of the fiercest sounds in jazz today” by The Guardian) to create a quartet that rips forward down new paths of adventurous fusion on their most recent album Deface the Currency.

The quartet was on tour in the summer of 2025 when Canty knew it was time to go back into the studio.  “We just started recording things and getting them down in first or second takes,” Pirog recalls of the Tonal Park session. “I don't think we were expecting to finish the record that quickly, but we were just so in the zone of playing together that it was pretty easy.”

The album as a whole — a statement of vigor, sensitivity and spontaneity — shows that Canty’s initial instincts were correct: through playing night after night, the quartet had reached new territory and is now bringing their unrelenting force to PS21’s stage.

Date & Time

Fri, Jun 19, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Venue Details

PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance

2980 New York 66
Chatham, New York 12037 PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance
PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance

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About PS21

A vibrant center for contemporary performance in the Hudson Valley, PS21 “presents work that challenges and invites” (The New York Times). Our adventurous productions by leading and emerging American and international artists showcase what’s new and thought-provoking in music, contemporary circus, dance, theater—and in entirely new genres. Largely supported by our generous donors, we’re a must-see, must-experience destination for performances that you won’t find anywhere else, at ticket prices that welcome all. 

Photography

PS21 will take photos of this event for use in social media and on our website. The photos sometimes include audiences. Your attendance at this performance indicates you consent to appear in PS21 photography. If you would prefer not to appear in any photos, please let a staff member know, and we will be glad to accommodate your request.


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