DIGITAL MUSIC MARKETING

Tom O’Connor has a vivid memory of the exhilarating moment that inspired him to reach out to a select group of longtime musical compatriots from the Albany, NY area and launch Nolanauts, a fast rising, high octane 10-piece rockin’ funk collective fired up about celebrating the joyful historical and contemporary fire of New Orleans music, sharing it with fans of all ages while creating a vibrant party atmosphere wherever they go.

An “eternally recovering Deadhead” who’s played everything from country to rock over the past 30 years, the multi-talented guitarist and vocalist was at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2019 with his longtime drummer pal Brian Lawlor; the two had been attending together faithfully since 2004. “We were sitting in the bleachers among 30,000 people at the Acura Stage watching the Wetlands All-Stars,” O’Connor says. “The audience was up dancing – eight-year-old girls, 80 year old grandmothers and everyone in between. I’m willing to bet 90 percent of the crowd didn’t know the songs they were hearing. They were just caught up in the magic of the moment. I looked at Brian, who’s played in groups with me forever, and said right then and there, ‘I’m starting a New Orleans band!’

O’Connor’s vision was to create a NOLA inspired collective featuring passionate, committed musicians of different generations playing music by Crescent City legends, from 50-60-year- old chestnuts to more contemporary songs. He assembled a representative list of tunes that any musician familiar with New Orleans music would know, sent it out to those friends in his musical orbit he thought might love it and the original lineup quickly took shape. The clever moniker “Nolanauts” reflects the spirit of having been blasted out of NOLA to a foreign land – in their case, the Hudson River Valley in Upstate New York, where most of the members hail from.

The 2020 press release O’Connor put out announcing Nolanauts humorously captures the crazy Zeitgeist of the pandemic era: “The NOLA music virus has escaped the lab, drifting north at 106 beats a minute. The good news is there is no known cure for it. Symptoms include outbreaks of funkiness and dancing.”

True to the concept of the collective, Nolanauts has experienced a bit of a revolving door since 2019, but the current ten-man lineup includes original members O’Connor, Lawlor, keyboardist/B-3 player Rick Rothermel, guitarist/vocalist Ben Moss and drummer David Macejka, who has toured internationally and was a producer on the Grammy nominated album Can’t Sit Down by zydeco legend C.J. Chenier. The 2023-24 ensemble – which includes an incredible total of six lead singers – includes Peter Andriakos (percussion, vocals), Brian Brancato (trumpet, vocals), Matt Girtler (bass, vocals), Bill Ringwood (sax vocals) and Joe Sorbero (drums, vocals). Members range in age from their 20’s to 70’s.

Feeling the innate chemistry, energy and excitement the original lineup had for the group’s starting repertoire, O’Connor instinctively knew Nolanauts would create a sensation from the moment they gathered for their first rehearsal at the Jive Hive, a local Albany recording studio and performance space with state of the art live streaming capabilities that’s owned by O’Connor and Stacy Marsh. Nolanauts’ first gig was on the patio at O’Connor’s home just down the road in front of 100 socially distanced friends and well-wishers in May 2020. Their first official show was a livestream presentation at The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio in Albany, owned and operated by public station WAMC Radio.

Continuing to build a large regional following of loyal fans, Nolanauts have performed multiple shows at such mid-size venues as Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, Lark Hall in Albany (including an opening slot for NOLA legend John “Papa” Gross), Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoe, NY and at the Rye Bread Music & Arts Festival.

Though Nolanauts began their journey playing fresh, dynamic renditions of songs by classic and contemporary New Orleans greats like The Meters, Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint, The Radiators, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Trombone Shorty, they have added an inspiring number of original tunes to their repertoire. Eager to expand their following across the Eastern U.S. and establishing themselves as recording artists, the ensemble dropped its funky, horn fired debut single “Early Warning” in February 2023. With an eye towards releasing an eventual EP or full length album, Nolanauts has three upcoming singles on the burner, set to drop throughout 2024 – the second-line flavored “Neutral Ground,” “SloNola” and “Matter of Time.”
“We like to say that while we’re not New Orleans musicians, we’re the biggest superfans of the city’s music who just happen to have the ability to create music that feels like it’s from New Orleans,” says O’Connor. “The music that emanates from there is so eclectic, ranging from bounce, rap and hip-hop to hard rock. We have complete creative freedom. Nolanauts is the only band many of us have ever been in that gets people up dancing and having a good time 100 percent of the time.

“We take our crafts seriously, but we know that ultimately it’s party music,” he adds. “What could be better than being in a band where people instantly have so much fun? Not many musicians get to do that. Sharing musical space with a big group of musicians like this humbles each of us and amplifies the notion that one and one equals three. It forces us to be generous with our musicality. We’re also proud that ninety percent of us at any given time can sing and do those ‘gang vocals’, vocal runs and chants New Orleans music is famous for.”