PAKT - Live in Pawling (July 22, 2021) (2024) [Hi-Res]

Eleven months before this July-22-2021 performance - on August-15-2020, the very first PAKT performance - playing masked and distanced to a dimly lit empty venue in the midst of the pre-vaccine pandemic era - had a surreal quality that informed the music. Now here we were about to make our our debut to a live audience at Daryl’s House in Pawling, once again playing completely and spontaneously improvised music. To be honest, we weren’t 100% sure how it would turn out. Would a comparatively normal situation - a room full of music lovers enjoying beverages and bites while listening intently - inspire us to go on similar spontaneous journeys? If so, would our audience go there with us? As soon as the lights went down, the travelling began. Throughout the evening, there were cheers and responses from our first crowd. It was as though we’d planned our arrangements as meticulously as a tune by Hall & Oates. By the time it was over, the answer to those questions had been a clear and resounding “yes.” We are grateful the Daryl’s staff and a sizable audience for taking a chance on a project that is thoroughly uncharted (in more ways than one) and proving to us that the PAKT experience has a life beyond one strange night in the midst of a pandemic. More live music to be released, enjoy! - Alex Skolnick

PERCY JONES - bass guitar
ALEX SKOLNICK - guitar
KENNY GROHOWSKI - drums
TIM MOTZER - guitars, electronics