Astronauts Defy Gravity

November 9, 2015, The New Haven Independent, by Lucy Gellman - "Ever since he found out that Ceschi Ramos’ brother and his partner Lizzie were expecting their first child,local musician José Oyola and Ramos had a bet: the baby would be born on Nov. 7, as Oyola and his band of hometown heroes launched their sophomore album, Hologram, at College Street Music Hall. It wasn’t likely, Oyola joked, but it could happen. So when Ramos texted him Friday to tell him that Lizzie had gone into labor and would probably give birth just as he stepped up to the mic Saturday night, bright, smoky shafts of light falling over his face, something felt perfect about it. ”It just feels right that we’re all here, together, as this new life is being born,” he said Saturday night from the Music Hall’s stage, addressing an audience of close to 600 who had packed in for the launch. The whole crowd, it seemed, smiled back. Joined by his quirky and talented crew of Astronauts — Carrie Martinelli on keys and sampler; Hannah Proch and Fernando Ferrer on vocals; Brian Antonucci on guitar; Mike Marsters of Funky Dawgz Brass Band on trombone; Tim Kane on trumpet; Tony Molina on bass; Frederic Kaeser on drums; Dylan McDonnell on flute; and Marcos Torres on percussion — and a stunning lineup of acts, he took the venue by storm, delivering one of the most spectacular, make-you-feel-warm-all-over aural lovefests New Haven has seen this year. The deliciousness started with If Jesus Had Machine Guns, whose Jimi Patterson jumped from the stage and over the photo pit into the crowd to jam with the audience while Jay Sirianni, Chris Serapiglia, Jay Bates, Katelyn Marshall, and Jon Watanabe held it down on stage..."

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