Event Description : Join us on our lobby stage for a Mini-Concert featuring BLACK KIDS!!!
Black Kids formed in March 2006. The band consists of Reggie Youngblood on guitar and vocals, Owen Holmes on bass guitar, Kevin Snow on drums, Dawn Watley on keyboards and vocals, and Reggie's sister Ali Youngblood also on keyboards and vocals. They started out by playing shows in Jacksonville, often as a supporting act for more well-known indie bands coming through town.
The band received national attention after a breakout performance at the Athens Popfest in Athens, Georgia on August 11, 2007, which led to a sudden flurry of coverage in the music press, including NME, Vice,[The Guardian,and The Village Voice. The same month, Black Kids' demo EP, Wizard of Ahhhs, was released via free download on their MySpace page. The EP received a favorable review of 8.4 out of 10 from Pitchfork Media, including a "Best New Music" commendation. In September, Black Kids began working with Quest Management, the company that manages Björk and Arcade Fire. At this time they also launched their official website, where they offered their EP as a free download for several months.
Black Kids participated in the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City in October, earning the band exposure in The New York Times and USA Today. In December the band travelled to London for a brief tour. Rolling Stone called them one of ten "Artists to Watch" in 2008 and the band was also included in the BBC Sound of 2008 poll. Black Kids toured the United Kingdom in early 2008, including the Vice Live Tour with Friendly Fires and Ipso Facto, a Sons and Daughters tour, and a Kate Nash tour. They performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April and Radio 1's Big Weekend in May. They are also slated to appear at T in the Park in Scotland and Camp Bestival in England in July. In April and May, Black Kids toured the United States as an opening act for Cut Copy. They are currently scheduled for a headlining European tour from June to August.
In February, Pitchfork Media reported that the Black Kids had signed a recording contract with Almost Gold Recordings for territories outside of North America. On May 1, news broke that Black Kids had signed with Columbia Records in the U.S. While in the UK they recorded their debut album, Partie Traumatic, with producer Bernard Butler, former guitarist of Suede. Their first single, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You", was released in the UK on April 7 and debuted at #11 on the UK Singles Chart. The band performed the song on the first ever fully live broadcast of Later... with Jools Holland on April 1. Their second single, "Hurricane Jane", was released in the UK on June 23. On May 30th they performed the track live on BBC's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross. The album Partie Traumatic was released on July 7 in the UK and is set to be released on July 22 in the US.
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