MUSIC: Fantastic Cat w/ Bruce Sudano at 3S Artspace

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“The supergroup you need to know.” –Rolling Stone They said it couldn’t be done. Four different songwriters joining forces to form a single band? There was simply no precedent (outside of CSNY, The Beatles, The Traveling Wilburys, The Highwaymen, Monsters of Folk, etc). And yet Fantastic Cat did it anyway, defying the odds and teaming up to record their highly unanticipated 2022 debut, The Very Best Of Fantastic Cat. Hailed by Rolling Stone as “a wildly satisfying collection of folk-rock, country, Americana, and good old rock & roll” that offers “equal doses of Dylan and Springsteen,” the album earned the vocal-trading, instrument-swapping collective their national TV debut, sold-out headline dates around the US and Europe, festival performances everywhere from Sundance to Take Root, and a song in the Showtime series Tulsa King. In 2023, the unlikely four-piece teamed up with all-star producer Butch Walker for a 50th anniversary take on Wings’ “Band On The Run,” which prompted even more love from Rolling Stone, who dubbed them “the Harlem Globetrotters of Americana.” Individually, each member of Fantastic Cat boasts their own impressive resume along with a litany of critical acclaim. Paste declared Don DiLego’s latest album a “stunner.” NPR said Anthony D’Amato “sings and writes in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen or Josh Ritter.” Rolling Stone called Brian Dunne’s new record “the sleeper album of the year” and praised Mike Montali’s band, Hollis Brown, as “the soundtrack for a late-night drive through the American heartland.” Collectively, though, the four transcend their respective roots, emerging as velvet-clad rock and roll cooperative far greater than the sum of its parts. They say some cats are born fantastic; others have fantasy thrust upon them. These guys are somewhere in the middle. American singer-songwriter Bruce Sudano has a storied history in music. His unique journey began with a songwriting mentorship from Tommy James, co-founding Alive 'N Kickin' and Brooklyn Dreams, and seeing his work recorded by iconic artists like Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Michael & Jermaine Jackson. But his most fruitful association began working with his future wife Donna Summer and co-writing her smash hit “Bad Girls”. The tragedy of her passing started Bruce on a new journey writing, recording, and touring for himself. Bruce’s musical capabilities blend philosophical, spiritual, love, and socially conscious ideas, expressing internal challenges with exquisite storytelling, as can be seen in his first two singles, “Watching Darkness Fall (A Bruce Sketch)” and “Damn Lonely On The Road” for forthcoming album Sketch Book, to be released early 2026.