Stick Men is made up of Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto, the bass and drum powerhouses of the band King Crimson for a few decades, and Markus Reuter is a songwriter, guitarist and producer. Levin plays the Chapman Stick, from which the band takes its name. Having both bass and guitar strings, the Chapman Stick sometimes functions as two instruments. Markus Reuter plays his self-designed touch-style guitar – again covering much more ground than a guitar or bass. And Mastelotto’s drumming encompasses not only the acoustic kit, but also a unique electronic setup, allowing him to add loops, samples, percussion, and more.

Born in Boston, Tony Levin got his start in classical music playing bass at the Rochester Philharmonic. Moving on to jazz and rock, he had a remarkable career, recording and touring with Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Yes, Alice Cooper and many more. He has also released 5 solo CDs and three books. In addition to touring with Stick Men, he is currently a member of the King Crimson and the Peter Gabriel Band, as well as jazz bands Levin Brothers and L’Image.

It is very rare for a drummer to forge the most successful career after the demise of his former successful band. Phil Collins and Dave Grohl achieved this, as did Pat Mastelotto, a self-taught drummer from Northern California who also helped push the boundaries of electronic drumming. Pat has spent his life jumping genres from pop to prog, electronica to world music with – among others – Mr. Mister, XTC, David Sylvian, The Rembrandts, Kimmo Pohjonen, and for 24 years with King Crimson.

Markus is a composer, guitarist and producer. Initially trained as a pianist, he later studied Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft and learned to play the Chapman Stick, later moving on to the U8 Touch Guitar. Reuter has released several solo recordings and worked extensively with other musicians. He is one of the main members of the experimental group Centrozoon, is half of the duo Tuner (with Pat Mastelotto) and was also a member of Europa String Choir.

Together they are Stick Men. Stick Men will be live again at Linda next week on April 8^and. You can reach us tickets and information at thelinda.org. This concert was recorded at Linda in 2019. Here is Stick Men live at Linda.

Lee Harvey Osmond, is a project of musician Tom Wilson, a Canadian rock and folk musician from Hamilton, Ontario. He has won three Juno Awards and released 14 albums including three solo albums. Wilson’s eclectic musical style ranges from the psychobilly/R&B sounds of the Florida Razors to the western/roots style of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and the funk/blues-inspired rock of Junkhouse.

When Wilson released “Beautiful Scars” in 2015, his third album under his other moniker, Lee Harvey Osmond, he was just beginning to grasp the irony of using an assumed identity. It turns out that Wilson had lived his entire life under a — a fact he didn’t learn until his 55th birthday, when his cousin confessed that she was really his mother and that her heritage was Mohawk, not Irish. That’s why his album cover portrays Wilson as a powerful, raw, warrior-like figure – someone who looks like he’s still savage. “That’s actually how I feel as an artist,” says Wilson. “At 56, I’m just coming out of the woodwork, with all this new knowledge of who I am.” A prolific songwriter, he has provided material for Billy Ray Cyrus, Murray McLauchlan, Colin James and Mavis Staples. Lee Harvey Osmond performed here in 2017 as part of the American Roots series, here is Lee Harvey Osmond live at the Linda.

Okay, it wouldn’t be a rock show on Live at The Linda without playing the recent wet set from Longtim Lidna regular Mr. Willie Nile. The New York Times called Buffalo, NY-born Willie Nile “one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years.” Uncut Magazine called it “A Solo Clash”. His album Streets Of New York was hailed as “a plateau for the ages” by Uncut. Rolling Stone listed The Innocent Ones as one of “Top Ten Best Under-The-Radar Albums of 2011” and BBC Radio called it “THE rock ‘n’ roll album of the year”. His single from this album, “One Guitar”, was USA Today’s “Top Pick of the Week”.

Willie toured the United States with The Who and sang with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. As the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame induction program puts it, “His live performances are legendary.” Her 2020 album “New York At Night” received rave reviews, with Downbeat calling it a “sound love letter to Gotham.” Willie was back in our club a few weeks ago to support his latest COVID-era inspired album, The Day the Earth Stood Still. This is Willie Nile live at the Linda.

Thank you for listening to Live At The Linda, recorded live at WAMC’s The Linda: Performing Arts Studio. Join us next week for Linda’s “Keys of Jazz”, featuring Stephane Wrembel 2022, Michael Benedict & Bopitude 2011 and The NoLaNauts 2021. For more info on this show or any upcoming events, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram, or visit thelinda.org.