The Feelies to Play WHBPAC, 4/26

The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center presents the critically acclaimed alt rockers, The Feelies, on Saturday, April 26 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $25-$35 and are available online at www.whbpac.org.

This legendary and influential rock band's early avant-garde pop albums are still cherished touchstones of American indie music. And with their new album, Here Before, the band picks up where it left off, sounding as committed and invigorating as ever.

The Feelies quickly became one of the most zealously touted acts on the highly competitive late 70s New York scene and underground heroes in their native New Jersey. They released their debut album Crazy Rhythms in 1980. Rolling Stone, Spin and countless other magazines would eventually declare the album one of the greatest of that era. The Feelies then took a six year "hiatus" from recording while its members continued to write, record and perform together and in collaboration with friends and neighbors. Feelies' music wound up in a number of films including Smithereens and Jonathan Demme's Something Wild.

The Feelies re-emerged with a new rhythm section in 1984 and recorded The Good Earth. The album was released 1986 followed by two further releases: Only Life (1988) and Time For A Witness (1991). The band shared bills with Patti Smith, LouReed, REM and Bob Dylan during this period and toured nationally.

In 2008, the Feelies re-united to open for long time admirers Sonic Youth at Battery Park and then resurrected their tradition of playing low key gigs around national holidays rather than doing lengthy tours. In 2009 Bar/None re-issued Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth, this being the first band-sanctioned CD release of the former. A highlight of the All Tomorrows Parties festival in New York state that year was the Feelies playing Crazy Rhythms in its entirety for the very first time.

In 2010, the band began writing songs and working out arrangements for new Feelies songs. By Fall that year, the band had worked up 13 songs. Many of their fans probably didn't think they would ever get a chance to see the Feelies perform again let alone have a new album in their hands. Here Before adds a solid fifth album to the Feelies discography. Reveling in the beauty and power of rhythm guitars and cracking percussion, their trademark sound remains a beacon of light that hasn't been dimmed a bit by the passage of time.