The Tenderloin Museum presents DOTCOM & THE NOISE in concert at Dodge Alley as part of its Sounds of the Tenderloin live music series and in collaboration with the Tenderloin Community Benefit District.
Thursday July 21, 2022
Performance 6-7pm | Block Party from 5-8pm
Dodge Place, SF, CA 94102
Free! Outdoors!
A talented, Tenderloin based singer & songwriter, Dotcom has a new musical project, DOTCOM & THE NOISE, that couples his exuberant, soulful vocal stylings to the grooves and improvisations of a funky jazz ensemble. In collaboration with a four piece band featuring Lise Ramaley (bass), A.C. Lewis (drums), Ben Paul (keys), and Don Ferguson (strings), Dotcom summons a stirring repertoire of classic soul music, channeling the unbridled intensity of Screaming Jay Hawkins, the cool groove of Bill Withers, and the profound beauty of Nina Simone.
DOTCOM & THE NOISE formed out of an impromptu collaboration. Last year, Dotcom approached a jazz band busking in the public space on Hayes & Octavia and asked if he could sing a song with them: Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” Out of that spontaneous encounter sprouted an immediate musical synergy, and Dotcom returned week after week to sing with the band. Over the course of a year, Dotcom and the musicians refined their sound and musical relationship, eventually forming a dedicated group: DOTCOM & THE NOISE.
Originally from the Bronx, Dotcom trained as an opera singer in high school, and, later in life, connected with gospel music at the urging of his mother. He auditioned for the GLIDE Ensemble singing “This Morning When I Rose,” and his electrifying rendition became a staple of the radical church’s Sunday Celebrations. In 2021, Dotcom released his single “MisLead” (ft. Dance Beatz, Devonne24k, Nina B, and produced by Selena Weinert), a propulsive track in which Dotcom’s impassioned, soaring vocals glisten with melodic autotune and a contemporary production. DOTCOM & THE NOISE is the artist’s first project with a dedicated band of musicians, and their organic collaboration and connection has proved refreshing, inspiring, and uplifting. Although most of his artistic life has focused on music, Dotcom’s first love was dance, because “that's how you celebrate yourself and celebrate the body, the ancestors, and those that came before us." That love is evident in his performances with THE NOISE, in which his feet shuffle in a tight groove with the drums, inspiring audiences to get up on their feet and dance!
This performance is one of several Thursday night activations organized by the TLCBD to transform Dodge Place, a neglected alleyway in the Tenderloin, into a healthy and aesthetically positive community experience for nearby families and seniors. These Thursday happenings are pilot activities for more permanent community-led physical improvements including a living green wall, planter boxes, murals, and colorful design and lighting elements. Join us and the residents/neighbors of Dodge Place to reclaim this alleyway for the community and to socialize with friends and enjoy the soulful sounds of DOTCOM & THE NOISE.
All are welcome at Dodge Place on Thursday, July 21st from 5-8pm, with the musical performance from 6-7pm. Free to attend; food & drink by Shovels Bar & Grille available for purchase.
Tenderloin Museum’s Sounds of the Tenderloin series animates the neighborhood’s undersung cultural history through live performances that explore, deepen, and complicate participants’ understanding of Tenderloin history while supporting local working musicians and creating accessible cultural activities for the neighborhood residents. Support for this event and TLM’s Sounds of the Tenderloin live music series generously provided by Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.