Mike Dillon, Brian Haas, Nikki Glaspie

Biography

Mike Dillon, Brian Haas, and Nikki Glaspie form the core of Punkadelick, a dynamic instrumental funk-rock trio established in 2021 during the pandemic, blending vibraphone, percussion, keyboards, and drums into heady, genre-defying music influenced by punk, jazz, funk, and rock. Mike Dillon, born in Texas, is a composer, percussionist, and bandleader who has spent three decades touring over 200 shows annually, leading projects like Nolatet, Billy Goat, Hairy Apes BMX, and Malachy Papers while collaborating as a vibraphonist with artists such as Rickie Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, and Les Claypool. Relocating from a 14-year base in New Orleans to Kansas City, Dillon's style merges stealthy jazz vibes, post-punk, and percussive dreamscapes, as heard in releases like 'All Music' and Punkadelick's debut 'Inflorescence'. Brian Haas, a keyboardist from the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, has shared stages with Dillon since the mid-1990s in groups like Nolatet, Garage A Trois, and Dead Kenny Gs, contributing Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog, and melodica to their expansive sound. Nikki Glaspie, a powerhouse drummer, rose from Berklee connections with Sam Kininger and Aaron Bellamy to tour with Martin Luther, Beyoncé's Suga Mama, and Dumpstaphunk alongside Ivan Neville, Nick Daniels III, and Tony Hall, before co-founding The Nth Power; her propulsive drumming anchors the trio's hypnotic grooves.[1][2][3][4][5]

The trio's music draws from titans like Duke Ellington, Parliament-Funkadelic, Led Zeppelin, Milt Jackson, The Minutemen, Bad Brains, Frank Zappa, and Queens of the Stone Age, emphasizing punk-jazz freedom without genre restrictions, often sounding like a larger ensemble through creative effects and improvisation. Formed from quarantine compositions by Dillon and Haas, with Glaspie joining for road-tested intensity, Punkadelick released 'Inflorescence' in 2021, featuring tracks like 'Desert Monsoon,' 'Pandas,' and 'Apocalypse Daydream,' challenging listeners with unclassifiable instrumental rock. Their relentless touring and loyal underground fanbase highlight a legacy of innovation, pushing orchestral and jazz instruments into rock and club contexts while fostering deep mutual love for the music.[2][3][6]

Punkadelick represents a pinnacle of their individual iconoclastic paths, with Dillon's extensive catalog, Haas's jazz odyssey roots, and Glaspie's funk pedigree converging in a 'nasty school of fish' synergy that surprises audiences and defies conventions, continuing to evolve through singles like 'Pandas' and live performances.[2][5][6]

Fun Facts

• Punkadelick, despite being a trio, often sounds like an ensemble three times its size due to their unified creative vision and effects pedals.[2][5]
• The band formed from pandemic quarantine sessions by Dillon and Haas, with Glaspie joining; they toured while venues were shuttered and recorded 'Inflorescence' mid-tour.[2]
• Dillon challenges listeners by adapting jazz/orchestral instruments like vibraphone for rock clubs, composing tracks like one for Haas as if 'writing for Queens of the Stone Age'.[2]
• Glaspie auditioned for Beyoncé's all-female band after gigging in funk-jam circuits and later propelled Dumpstaphunk to top festival slots like Bonnaroo.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Duke Ellington - stylistic influence on jazz elements (general influence on instrumental approach) [ongoing]
• Milt Jackson - forefather of Black American Music influencing vibraphone style (general influence) [ongoing]
• Parliament-Funkadelic - freak-funk influence (Inflorescence album textures) [ongoing]

Key Collaborators

• Rickie Lee Jones - touring vibraphonist/percussionist (live tours) [ongoing]
• Ani DiFranco - vibraphonist/percussionist (live performances) [past]
• Les Claypool - vibraphonist with Bastard Jazz and Frog Brigade (tours) [ongoing]
• Ivan Neville - drummer in Dumpstaphunk (second full-length LP, festival tours) [pre-2014]
• Beyoncé - drummer in Suga Mama touring band (tours) [mid-2000s]
• Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey members - keyboardist Brian Haas's primary band, shared bills (various configurations) [mid-1990s onward]

External Links

• Spotify