Tonight, Brooklyn Bowl hosts the eleventh annual Freaks Ball, aka Freaks Ball XI, featuring a double dose of HT fave Scott Metzger. Metzger performs with his instrumental trio Wolf! as well as with Hendrix tribute act Some Cat From Japan. Instrumental post-rock duo El Ten Eleven headlines. Joining Metzger in this evening’s version of Some Cat will be Will Bernard on guitar, Corey Glover on vocals, Tony Mason on drums, Jason Crosby on keys and Ron Johnson on bass. Tickets are still available through the Ticketfly.

When you look at the lineups for the 11 Freaks Ball, you can’t help but be impressed at the collection of bands the leaders of the NYC-Freaks e-mail list have put together over the years. Take a look…

I (1/20/2001): Tribeca Blues

The Squad (Charles Haynes on Drums, Adam Schmeeans Smirnoff on Guitar, Mark Kelley on bass, Jeff Baskher on Keys, Sammy K; note: The Squad’s Jeff Baskher is now Kayne West’s keyboardist/musical director/occasional producer and is probably playing the biggest venues of all the past Freaks performers)
Robert Randolph and the Family Band

II (2/9/2002): Galapagos (now Public Assembly)

Butter >>>

Northsix (now MHOW)

Robert Randolph and the Family Band

READ ON for the lineups for Freaks Ball III through XI…

III (1/10/2003): Bowery Ballroom

Benevento/Russo Duo (first time playing Bowery?) guests Jessica Lurie,
Cochemea Gastelum
Rana (first/only time playing Bowery?) (Noah from Sam Champion sat in with RANA)
Robert Randolph and the Family Band (w/ Chuck Campbell?) (guests include Jay
Caver, Jessica Lurie Calvin Cooke and members of Hazy Malaze sat in with
Robert Randolph)

IV (1/10/2004): Southpaw

Nasty Habits (Freak band playing Rolling Stones covers)
Benevento Russo Duo
Benevento Russo Duo with Scott Metzger playing Zeppelin (2nd time this happened, pre-Bustle)
Jam session lead by Campbell Brothers with Justin Wallace, DJ Logic, Cochemea Gastelum, Sam Kinninger, Marco Benevento and…?

V: 1/15/2005: Southpaw

Ollabelle
Rana (w/ Antibalas horns guesting)
Benevento/Russo Duo

VI: 1/21/2006 Coda

Full Stealth (Nate) was the VJ the whole night
Secret Government
Welcome to Metzgerville (Metzger, Dave Dreiwitz, 
Kevin Kendrick and Ryan Thornton)
Coxygen (featuring Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Skerik and Mike Dillon)

VII: 1/27/2007 Southpaw

The Dansettes
Chris Harford and the Band of Changes (Joe Russo, Scott Metzger, Dave Dreiwitz, special guest Dean Ween) [two sets]
Apollo Sunshine

VIII: 2/9/2008 Southpaw

American Babies (w/ Wallace on bass, Joe Russo, Scott Metzger?)
Mocean Worker (Cheme played with Mocean Worker)
Bustle In Your Hedgerow

IX: 1/10/2009

Danjaboots (Scott Metzger + Joe Russo)
The Rodney Speed Experience
The New Mastersounds
Rana (Russo sat in)

X: 1/23/2010 Sullivan Hall

Scott Metzger, Eric Kalb, Ron Johnson, Nigel Hall
The Black Hollies
Anders Osborne (with Kirk Joseph and Eric Bolivar)

XI: 2/6/2011 Brooklyn Bowl

DJ Cochon de Lait 6:30 – 8p & between sets
Wolf! 8 = 9p
Some Cat From Japan 9:15 – 10:45p
El Ten Eleven 11 – 12:30

[Notes provided by Aaron Stein, Mike Greenhaus, Eric Taylor and others]

Scott Bernstein

Scott Bernstein co-founded Hidden Track in October 2006 and was managing editor until taking over as EiC in January 2008. Scotty also writes for Relix Magazine and curates YEMblog.com.

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