Guerilla Toss is an art rock band with funk and dance influences currently based out of New York City. The group’s primary members are Kassie Carlson, drummer Peter Negroponte, and guitarist Arian Shafiee. I ran into their music in the past through a mutual friend but I revisited them through social media as I was searching for any upcoming shows in Nashville. I loved their eclectic sound and style so I had to check them out live.
They performed at The Blue Room, located at Jack White’s Third Man Records. If you haven’t been to Third Man Records, this is one place you don’t want to miss. I have never been to The Blue Room prior to this show. I fell in love as soon as I entered through the door. You are greeted by the colorful hallway leading to the venue. You enter the first room which was the ticketing area, engulfed in yellow lighting. Then you enter The Blue Room. You’re met with a gigantic cyc wall in front of you, (to those not familiar with this type of wall, it’s curved and typically used for video or photo sessions) and then the bar and the stage to your left.
The room was already jam packed. It was a sold out show. I walked in as the opener was performing. I had the opportunity to join the band backstage. I snapped a couple of photos of them as they were talking and prepping to get on stage. And not too long after we all made our way to the stage. There was so much excitement in the air. There was definitely a bit of moshing and stage diving I had to dodge but fortunately captured. Kassie got the crowd pumped by initiating the first stage dive. They carried her in a full circle ending at the stage. This was definitely a show you had to be there for. No amount of words can describe the amount of energy radiating in this room. But you don’t get that many people excited without the band and the music being phenomenal.
I had the opportunity to ask the band a couple of questions. Continue reading below!
How’s tour been so far?
Excellent! It’s nice to be on stage again after a two year pandemic hiatus.
What was your favorite part of the night?
My favorite part of the night is being on stage and the sound is perfect and I can finally let go. It’s nice to see everyone out and dancing again!
What’s up next for Guerilla Toss?
We have a west coast tour planned around Pickathon Fest the first week of August.
Last but not least, what is your pup’s name and please tell me more about this adorable polar bear!
His name is Watley and he is a chow chow. His favorite gas station snack is peanut butter crackers and cheez-its. He enjoyed sniffing the giant hippo skull at Third Man Records.
They brought Watley with them on tour. Unfortunately he was not there at the show for me to capture his essence, however, you can see his photos all over their Instagram.
Guerilla Toss released their album Famously Alive their Sub Pop debut. More tour information to be announced. You can find more info at www.guerillatoss.com.
