Meter Men Meet & Greet Facebook Contest

The Meter Men Featuring Three Of The Four Original Members Of
New Orleans’ Legendary Funk Band The Meters Plus Page McConnell Of Phish
This Friday March 22 In NYC At Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom
Meet & Greet Contest Announced

CEG & Nolafunk will host The Meter Men, which features three of the four original members of the legendary funk band from New Orleans The Meters (George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, and Zigaboo Modeliste) with Page McConnell of Phish this Friday March 22 at The Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center. The show will also feature Chicago’s The Main Squeeze, a rising funk band that is gaining national prominence, plus DJ Cochon de Lait in between sets.Tickets are still available through Ticketweb.com and (800) 745-3000.
A contest has been announced to MEET THE METER MEN! Participants should share the provided image as a status tagging CEG Presents and NOLAFUNK and share with their friends "I'm seeing The Meter Men this Friday and I want to meet the band because…" CEG & Nolafunk will select 4 lucky winners to MEET THE METER MEN AND PAGE MCCONNELL! Participants must purchase a ticket, advance or day of show, in order to win the prize. Winners will be notified via Facebook with instructions for the meet and greet. Contest link is http://on.fb.me/148iJwV.

It's no stretch to say that The Meters singlehandedly defined New Orleans funk. Performing and recording their own music throughout the latter half of the '60s and into the '70s, this seminal group laid the foundation for what is now a ubiquitous genre, influencing countless funk musicians with their earthy, down-home style. Tracks like "Cissy Strut," "Look-Ka Py Py," "Sophisticated Sissy," and "Chicken Strut" are staples of the funk genre, and the band's work backing artists like Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Lee Dorsey, and even Paul McCartney is instantly recognizable. The Meters' sound also provided a jumping off point for much of the hip-hop of the '80s and '90s, with rap luminaries like LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and more sampling the band's tracks.

Show Details:
Friday March 22 7pm Doors 8pm Show
The Meter Men:
George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, Zigaboo Modeliste, and Page McConnell of Phishw/ special guests The Main Squeeze & DJ Cochon de Lait

Ticket Options:
General Admission Floor Standing: $49.50 // $55 DOS
General Admission Balcony Seated: $59.50 // $65 DOS
VIP Premium Roped Off Area Up Front of Floor with Table Seating with Private Waitress Service: $79.50 // (Almost Sold Out)

Grand Ballroom (At Manhattan Center)
311 West 34^th Street (Between 8^th & 9^th Avenues)
New York, NY

Tickets Still Available Via Ticketweb.com, Nolafunk.com and (800) 745-3000.

www.nolafunk.com
www.cegpresents.com

Upcoming: Meter Men @ Grand Ballroom

With  

Special Guests TBA

Friday March 22, 2013
7pm Doors 8pm Show

Grand Ballroom
(At The Manhattan Center)
311 W 34th St, New York, NY
(212) 279-7740

The Meters nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Dominic Massa

 

New Orleans funk music icons The Meters are among this year's nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and for the first time fans can vote online for who should make the final cut.

The nominees were announced Thursday morning and include singer/songwriter Randy Newman, who grew up in New Orleans and whose rendition of "Louisiana 1927" remains a classic, as well as Public Enemy, N.W.A., Donna Summer, Deep Purple, Albert King and the Marvelettes.

From now through Dec. 5 fans can cast votes for this year's Hall of Fame class.  The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2013 inductees, the Hall said.

"James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament-Funkadelic all coasted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yet one of the true cornerstones of funk is still waiting for induction," says the Hall of Fame in its nomination.

"The Meters were not only the leading instrumental unit to emerge from the great musical gumbo of New Orleans, they were also one of the tightest and hardest-grooving ensembles R&B has ever seen."

Formed in 1965, the band included original members Art Neville (keyboards and vocals), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), George Porter Jr. (bass) and Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste (drums).  Later Cyril Neville joined the band on percussion and vocals.
In its nomination, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acknowledges the band's legendary status as house band for Hall of Famer Allen Toussaint's recording label, and then its own releases, including the classic "Cissy Strut."

They also became known for their session work with Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer and LaBelle and recordings with Dr. John (also a recent Hall of Fame inductee).
"With the explosion of hip-hop, the group became familiar to a new audience when its records were sampled countless times by the likes of Run-D.M.C., N.W.A., Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys," the Hall said.  "Meters songs have been covered by everyone from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Grateful Dead illustrating the far-reaching influence of these masters of funk."

If inducted, the Meters would join a long list of other New Orleans and Louisiana honorees: Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Lloyd Price, Earl Palmer, Dave Bartholomew, Mahalia Jackson, Professor Longhair and Jelly Roll Morton.  Just last year, legendary recording engineer Cosimo Matassa was also honored with a special Hall of Fame award.

Upcoming: Metermen @ BB King's

THE METERMEN

ZIGABOO MODELISTE
LEO NOCENTELLI
GEORGE PORTER JR.
With guest keyboardist PAGE McCONNELL (Phish)

November 1, 2012

Showtime @ 8:00PM
Doors Open @ 6:00PM

Tickets $40.00 in advance, $45.00 day of show

It's no stretch to say that The Meters singlehandedly defined New Orleans funk. Performing and recording their own music throughout the latter half of the '60s and into the '70s, this seminal group laid the foundation for what is now a ubiquitous genre, influencing countless funk musicians with their earthy, down-home style. Tracks like "Cissy Strut," "Look-Ka Py Py," "Sophisticated Sissy," and "Chicken Strut" are staples of the funk genre, and the band's work backing artists like Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Lee Dorsey, and even Paul McCartney is instantly recognizable. The Meters' sound also provided a jumping off point for much of the hip-hop of the '80s and '90s, with rap luminaries like LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Ice Cub, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and more sampling the band's tracks.

Formed in 1965, the original Meters lineup featured keyboardist and vocalist Art Neville, drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, and bassist George Porter Jr. After a few months playing under the name Art Neville & The Sounds, the band was hired by famed producers Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn as the house band for their Sansu Enterprises label. The Meters did most of their backing work for this label. They also performed and recorded on their own, releasing Top 40 instrumental hits on both Josie Records and Reprise Records well into the '70s. Although they never truly broke into the mainstream, by the middle of the decade, The Meters were a huge hit among the music intelligentsia.

The Meters broke up in 1977, and all of their members went on to find significant success elsewhere in the music business. Neville gained fame as part of The Neville Brothers, Modeliste toured with Ron Wood and Keith Richards, and both Nocentelli and Porter started new bands and became in-demand session players. In recent years, various iterations of the original Meters lineup have reconvened for numerous one-off shows, including full reunion performances in 2005 and 2011. Tonight at B.B. King Blues Club, Modeliste, Nocentelli, and Porter reunite as The Metermen and join forces with Phish keyboardist Page McConnell - a musical titan in his own right - for a historic two-night run.
Zigaboo Modeliste Website
Leo Nocentelli Website
George Porter Jr. Website
Page McConnell Website

50% Discount: Zigaboo Modeliste Plays the Highline Tonight

Full Price:

$15.00

Our Price:

$7.50*

Check Availability Wed, Feb 15 @ 8:00pm

Revered New Orleans drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste rose to prominence as a member of the internationally acclaimed funk group The Meters. Since then, he has performed and recorded with musical icons like Keith Richards, Robert Palmer and Dr. John. His beats have been sampled by countless hip-hop acts including Run DMC, NWA, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and Queen Latifah. He has also released numerous solo albums, the latest being New Life, which came out in 2011. This all-star funk revue surrounds Zigaboo with Andy Hess (Gov't Mule, John Scofield), Brian Mitchell (Levon Helm, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Al Green), Jonathan Batiste, Jamie McLean (Dirty Dozen Brass Band) and Norbert Stachel (Tower of Power, Robert Waters) for a concert that will take you to new levels of funk.

Zigaboo Modeliste's NY Foundation of Funk Revue @ Highline Ballroom

Zigaboo Modeliste's NY Foundation of Funk Revue featuring Andy Hess , Brian Mitchell , Jonathan Batiste & Jamie McLean

Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012  

Highline Ballroom

 

 

Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste is a master drummer, rhythm innovator, percussionist, and New Orleans legend. The most highly acclaimed drummer ever to hail from the Crescent City, Ziggy's creativity has been a wellspring of funk influence for three decades and has inspired numerous hip-hop tracks. His innovative work as a member of the internationally acclaimed R&B group The Meters, as well as his side work with artists like Keith Richards, Robert Palmer, and Dr. John, have garnered him an unparalleled level of respect among musicians and fans. 

The original The Meters LPs were all recorded with Ziggy at the drums, and his work has been sampled many times over by artists like Musiq, Queen Latifah, Run DMC, NWA, Ice Cube, Salt-N-Pepa, Cypress Hill, EPMD, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Naughty by Nature, and Tweet, just to name a few. Ziggy is also a BMI award winner for the Young Gunz track "Can't Stop Won't Stop," and his drum sound provided the main loops for Amerie's "1Thing," which was nominated for two Grammy Awards and was No. 1 on the R&B charts. In addition, he has released numerous solo albums, including Zigaboo.com (2000), I'm on the Right Track (2004), and Funk Me Hard Live (2009).

Ziggy has written over 200 songs individually and collectively with The Meters. Displaying both his musical genius and original funk style, his songs have been featured on albums and in movies nationally and internationally. He is also currently featured in producer Mark Ronson's Re:Generation Music Project, where he performs the original song "A La Modeliste" with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, and members of The Dap Kings. Zigaboo's latest release, New Life, dropped in 2011 and has garnered praise as an amazing slide of funk and proof that his fountain of rhythmic imagination shows no signs of running dry.

Tonight at Highline Ballroom, the king of the funky drums, percussion maestro, and godfather of groove Zigaboo Modeliste will take listeners to funk depths only he could possibly reach, together with a renowned crew of collaborators that includes Andy Hess (Gov't Mule, John Scofield), Brian Mitchell (Levon Helm, Bob Dylan, B.B. King,  Al Green, Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint, The Wild Magnolias), Jonathan Batiste, and Jamie McLean (Dirty Dozen Brass Band).

 

 

Upcoming: Zigaboo / Big Sam Co-Bill @ Hiro Ballroom

Upcoming: Big Sam's Funky Nation & Zigaboo Modelist Band @ Hiro Ballroom

Bonnaroo 2011 to feature reunited Meters backing Dr. John

By Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune

The original Meters are slated to reunite for the first time in almost five years at the 10th anniversary Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee in June. The Meters will back Dr. John on a complete performance of his 1974 album “Desitively Bonnaroo,” from which the festival takes its name. The Meters were the studio band behind Dr. John on that original recording.

.

The Meters – keyboardist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste – have reunited only intermittently since they laid down the foundation for New Orleans funk in the late 1960s and ‘70s. The most recent reunion ended in 2006 with Neville, for one, expressing doubt that they would ever reform again.

“I didn’t think it would happen after the last escapade,” Nocentelli said of this latest reunion. “But something that’s worthwhile, we should be able to not throw it aside. If it’s still alive and you still feel it, learn from what you did. I’m looking forward to some longevity.”

The original Meters disbanded in 1979 amid business and personal turmoil; variations appeared sporadically. In 1989, Neville, Porter and Nocentelli hired drummer Russell Batiste Jr. and resurrected the Meters name. After Nocentelli's departure in 1994, they continued as the Funky Meters with former Neville Brothers guitarist Brian Stoltz.

The original Meters put aside their differences to reunite for a single show – and large paycheck -- in San Francisco in 2000. In 2005, they came together again to perform at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell. That show went well, and was followed by other concerts. A new generation of music fans already knew their riffs and rhythms via jam band tributes and scores of samples on rap records. The reunited band played for much larger audiences and fees than the Funky Meters.

But by 2007, the reunion had run out of steam. When one bandmember couldn’t make himself available for a proposed gig at that year’s Bonnaroo, the reunion appeared to have run its course.

However, the principals of Superfly, the New Orleans-founded firm that co-produces Bonnaroo, were determined to land the Meters this year. During their run in the mid-2000s, the reunited Meters performed at other Superfly-produced festivals. Thus, the musicians were well-acquainted with how the Superfly principals operate, and vice versa. Superfly approached the four Meters individually with a proposal for the 2011 Bonnaroo.

“I’m pleased with the way they’re handling it,” Nocentelli said of Superfly. “On a business level, we’re not a group any more. To be a group, you have to think alike. We’re four businessmen with different opinions. You put that in a group context, it doesn’t work. The group thing comes when we’re on stage playing music.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t be dealt with. You have to deal with us on an individual basis. That’s the only way you can have any success.”

The 10th annual Bonnaroo is June 9 - 12. Most of the tens of thousands attendees camp on the 700-acre site in Manchester, Tenn., 60 miles south of Nashville. The final Bonnaroo 2011 lineup will total over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.

In Pictures: First Weekend of Jazzfest

By Dino Perrucci Photography Stanton Moore & Levon Helm - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/25/10 Jim James - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/25/10 Anders Osborne - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/25/10

Dr John - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/24/10 Midnight Disturbers - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/24/10 funky Meters - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/24/10 Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/24/10 Harry Shearer - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/24/10

Zigaboo Modeliste, George Clinton & The Soul Rebels Brass Band - Tipitina's, New Orleans 4/23/10 Zigaboo Modeliste - Tipitina's, New Orleans 4/23/10 Trombone Shorty - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/23/10 Glen David Andrews - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/23/10

Anders Osborne - Blue Nile, New Orleans 4/22/10 The Wild Tchoupitoulas - Tipitina's French Quarter 4/22/10 Charmaine, Lorraine, Art & Ian Neville - Tipitina's French Quarter 4/22/10 Trombone Shorty & Cyril Neville - Tipitina's French Quarter 4/22/10

The Maple Leaf - New Orleans, LA 4/21/10 Funkifried - The Maple Leaf, New Orleans LA 4/21/10 Funkifried - The Maple Leaf, New Orleans LA 4/21/10

In Pictures: Ponderosa Stomp - Tribute to Wardell Quezergue @ Alice Tully Hall

c/o Brooklyn Vegan

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Wardell Quezergue (facing band) and his Big Band

Tony Owens

Robert Parker

The Dixie Cups

Dorothy Moore

Tammy Lynn

Dr. John / Mac Rebbenack

Zigaboo Modeliste (drums) performing Hey Pocky Way with Dixie Cups and Tammy Lynn

Dixie Cups with Dorothy Moore

Dr. John (guitar)

Zigaboo Modeliste and Band

Raymond Jones and Brian Quezergue

Michael Hurtt (r) and Dr. John

Jean Knight

Wardell addressing the audience

finale (Big Chief)