Khruangbin with Kamasi Washington New Zealand Show Announced

Live music in Aotearoa is all set to fizz again this summer, via today's announcement of genre-melting US superstars Khruangbin's forthcoming headline event at Tāmaki Makaurau's Spark Arena, featuring special guest Kamasi Washington. Blending elements of Thai funk, Jamaican reggae, Asian pop-funk and R&B into their eclectic, body-moving melting pot of sound, Khruangbin's live show is an extravaganza not to be missed, starring the Texan trio of drummer Donald Ray ‘DJ’ Johnson Jr, guitarist Mark Speer and bassist Laura ‘Leezy’ Lee. Garnering devoted fans across the globe with such standout releases as their 2020 album Mordechai and collaborative EPs with Leon Bridges, the group's Auckland date will also include a performance by Los Angeles jazz titan Kamasi Washington, who was last here in Aotearoa playing a spectacular show in 2019. Grip the details below...

Undertheradar proudly presents...

Khruangbin
with special guest Kamasi Washington

Tuesday 6th December - Spark Arena, Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland (all ages)

Frontier members presale available runs 24 hours from 11am, Wednesday 30th March or until pre-sale allocation exhausted
General public tickets available from 2pm, Friday 1st April via Ticketmaster

Feel the summery grooves of Khruangbin's 'So We Won't Forget', from their 2020 album Mordechai...

Watch the badass video for Kamasi Washington's 'Street Fighter Mas', from 2018's epic Heaven and Earth...

Press release:

Performing their biggest headline shows in Australia and New Zealand to date, Houston, Texas psych-funk auteurs Khruangbin will bring their First Class Tour to Fremantle, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland in November/December 2022.

Last here in 2019, the acclaimed three-piece exist in their own orbit, their legendary live show – a mixtape of surf-rock cool, dubby disco and worldly funk – held down by the steady hand of drummer Donald Ray ‘DJ’ Johnson Jr, virtuosic guitarist Mark Speer, and enigmatic bassist Laura ‘Leezy’ Lee.

Live on stage Khruangbin’s electric range is performed with impeccable style, their sound rooted in globetrotting. With three studio albums to date – debut The Universe Smiles Upon You, 2018’s Con Todo El Mundo, and 2020’s Mordechai – tracks such as ‘Dern Kala’ , ‘Maria También’ and ‘People Everywhere (Still Alive)’ have become live anthems for their many fans, no mean feat for a largely instrumental group. 2021’s Mordechai Remixes featured re-imaginings by Kadhja Bonet, Soul Clap, Quantic, Harvey Sutherland, and more.

Sonic instrumental world-builders, Khruangbin’s sound is meticulously constructed and universally adored. Praised by The New York Times, Billboard, Los Angeles Times, FADER and more, they regularly sell-out multiple nights at iconic venues worldwide – from The Greek in Los Angeles to London’s O2 Academy Brixton – possessing a live show not to be missed.

Joining the bill to bring light, joy and power to the Melbourne and Auckland shows is LA tenor saxophonist and bandleader Kamasi Washington. Washington’s cinematic compositions and fearless performances have inspired a whole new audience, the dynamic Washington having worked with luminaries such as Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar, St Vincent, Kendrick Lamar, Florence + the Machine, and Herbie Hancock. His breakout albums The Epic and Harmony Of Difference are interstellar trips through a rich history of Black American music.