Interview with Sit Kitty Sit

www.loudinirockandrollcircus.com

The Loudini Rock and Roll Circus Interview Edition
Hosted by Lou Lombardi aka Loudini
San Francisco based Hard Piano Rock duo, Sit Kitty Sit, takes the stage. It’s a pretty girl in a cocktail dress and a handsome guy in black jeans.  Simple.  Unassuming. Armed only with piano and drums, this fiery team lets loose an expertly manipulated balance of blow-your-mind power rock and virtuosic intricacy that leaves audiences screaming.

In May of 2010, Kat Downs (Good Natured Mortals/Sparrows Point/Saints of Ruin) and Mike Thompson (Big Nasty/Tokyo Raid/Cougar Kick) teamed up to experiment with the combination of classical piano and rock drumming. Typically described as “The Dresden Dolls mixed with King Crimson and Fiona Apple”, the music they create also reflects evidence of Zeppelin, Beethoven, Rush and Rachmaninoff.  The combination of Kat Downs’ ornate hands and hair flying with Mike Thompson’s flawless percussive mastery makes this duo the consummate definition of a “dream-team”.

“Digging for comparisons, you can find a little bit of everyone
from Nick Cave to Randy Newman, Amanda Palmer to Metallica in their work.
Just simply comparing this band, however, does Sit Kitty Sit a disservice.”
– Nicholas Schneider, The Bay Bridged

Following their 2010 and 2012 releases, “The Push” and “Beautiful/Terrible” respectively, Sit Kitty Sit hit the road and never looked back.  Touring almost non-stop since 2013, the duo has built up a cult-style following all across the United States and have become known for consistently thrilling audiences with their energetically intense live performances. No holds barred, this group produces addictive rock n’ roll – with only two people, and not one guitar in sight.

“They seem to accomplish more with two people than most bands do with five.”
–  Veronica Kirk, Black on the Canvas

2014 unleashed the release of Sit Kitty Sit’s third studio album, “Everlasting Fire”.  Based entirely on Dante’s “Inferno”, this storyline album showcases the extensive versatility of Downs and Thompson as a team.  Spanning seven genres and boasting 15 guest artists, the release shows us an entirely new side of the band while maintaining their identity.   The album has been receiving rave reviews since it’s release.

This year, Sit Kitty Sit was a featured performer at NAMM 2015 as guests of Killer Q Instrument Straps, whose presentation booth went on to win Best In Show. After teaming up with Sleepless Sounds Music Group in Los Angeles, CA to release a new 2015 single and continuing to tour the U.S., Sit Kitty Sit will take the leap over the pond in late October 2015 with their first ever European Tour.   New music and tour dates are always in the works so keep your eyes and ears open in their direction.

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Kat Downs is a Musician, Artist, Teacher, Composer and Performer originally from Green Bay, WI.  She began studying music in the 2nd grade continuing on through high school and college earning a BA Degree in Music from St. Norbert College in DePere, WI.  Now based out of San Francisco, CA, Kat’s current projects include the powerhouse Hard Piano Rock duo, Sit Kitty Sit, and the goth rock band, Saints of Ruin. She is the staff composer for Wily West Productions, the Music Consultant for Blue Scorpion Dance Theatre and has an exclusive studio of piano and flute students. Best known for her intense piano playing style and exceptional lyrical compositions, Kat tours nationally and has shared the stage with such names as LP, The Memorials, Chris Wyse, En Esch, Mona Mur, Erica Dilanjian, Shannon Curfman, Lennon, Javier Mosley and WASP.
Mike Thompson is a Drummer, Percussionist, Performer and Arranger hailing from the tiny town containing major talent, Westerly, RI.  He started officially banging on the drums in private lessons at age 10 and went on to star in his award winning high school Jazz, Concert & Marching bands.  He continued feeding his passion for music by studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA under drumming greats such as Jamey Haddad, Rod Morgenstein and Kenwood Dennard earning a BA Degree in Music Performance and Business. Having played in bands such as The Big Nasty and Tokyo Raid, Mike has shared the stage with many other bands and artists such as Gary Clark Jr., Pat Travers, Chris Wyse, John Vanderslice and Javie Mosley.  Now living in the CA Bay Area, he is mainly devoting his time with partner, Kat Downs, to touring nationally and garnering more exposure for their powerhouse Hard Piano Rock duo, Sit Kitty Sit.