The live electronic sessions will go live every first Monday in 2025, featuring many of Charlotte’s own.
From the mind of Leonardo Solis, better known as the current shipwright of show production at Neighborhood Theatre and one part to the versatile duo Solis, came an inspiration first, and a bold new direction into electronic sound next. The culmination is the new Monday monthly event at Tommy’s Pub, dubbed Spaceman & Friends.
Each first Monday, starting this December and pushing through 2025, Spaceman & Friends (S&F) is an experimental electronic jam session of sorts, pairing Solis with a specially invited guest from around the Charlotte Scene. Each event will be a unique experience in & of themselves, as for those nights, improvisation is the key, and curated electronic music privy to each pairing will be the result.
“Spaceman & Friends is really an opportunity to experiment and not have any kind of structure,” Solis explained while talking to RF20XX. “And, what happens here, hopefully, can influence albums, singles, other melodies, or just the beats per second (bpm). It is also an opportunity to play in front of people and experiment live. It’s kind of like when comedians try to test their bits, and this is an opportunity to test some of mine and whoever joins me.”
The true trigger to S&F came a little more than a decade ago while Solis toured Europe, and at the point he referenced, it all goes back to a night in Berlin, Germany.
By the expression on his face when recanting the tale, it was easy to see this as a pivotal point Solis frequents in his more musically meditative moments.
“It was kind of wild how we found it, back in 2012. We were playing a rock show, and I was on tour, tour managing and dealing with front-of-house along with the stage hands at the venue. I had asked one of them, like, “Hey, I want to go listen to some electronic music. Where can I go?” They pointed me towards a venue called the Suicide Circus. I walked in and immediately was hooked going forward.”
Before the memory could fade off again, Solis quickly added, “ Since then, I’ve been really into the Europe dance scene, so it was nice to kind of feel like I was in Europe for at least two hours of my day.”
For this past Monday, the initial activation of the experimental electronic series, Charlotte local Benton joined the fray, each artist building upon the other upon a folding table filled with a hybrid DJ set, featuring more than a few different types of analog & digital drum machines and synthesizers.
With the first session tested out and successful, Solis is looking forward to 2025, where he plans on extending the spot on his left to many notable names in the Charlotte music community.
“First though,” Solis told RF20XX, “I’m going to be inviting my buddy Ryan from the band collective, Sweat Transfer. So, we’re going to try to curate something for this January, which is going to be Inauguration Day, so maybe people can come out and dance.”
“ [After that] I think you know That Guy Smitty is kind of the G.O.A.T. when it comes to DJing. So, I’d love to have him come in and participate, along with Justin Aswell. I’ve been following him for over, like, 15 years. I remember seeing videos of Justin when I was living in California. He’s definitely one that I would love to collaborate with. Outside of Charlotte, I mean, really, like anybody and anyone that wants to kind of come in. My buddy up in New York, I’d love to have him come down. There’s just so many random artists across the country that I would love to have.”
Leonardo Solis and Benton playing together at Tommy’s Pub on Monday, December 2. Photo Credit: RF20XX Photography
“Leo” Solis’s Spaceman & Friends will occur every first Monday on the month, with the next event planned for January 6, 2025.
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