Early bird
€10
Pre-sale
€12.50
(+ €1 service fee)
At the door
€15
Start 21:00
Doors open 20:30
Energy Personified! A bold statement now synonymous with Irish Soul and Funk singer, Curtis Millen. Having spent the last three years sharpening his craft of voice and engagingly electric showmanship by gigging relentlessly, Curtis is now ready to release his first single ‘Driver’s Seat’ in what is the most accurate portrayal of his high energy captured on record. Along with his 8-piece band, The Trunk’O’Funk, Curtis will be putting on a joyous party when he brings his blend of original soul and funk that they rocked Haarlem Jazz Festival with to Grounds in the city Curtis now calls home.
Curtis Millen is originally from Belfast (Ireland) and has been living in Rotterdam since 2021. Having been heavily influenced by the diverse and energetic music of Prince, Stevie Wonder and Tom Jones, Curtis moved to Rotterdam in 2021 to ply his trade in one of the most vibrant spots in Europe for funk and jazz fusion and has established himself as conductor of energy in the Randstad region.
The Driver’s Seat Release Party comprises a mostly original set list that Curtis has worked on together with local producer and award winning guitarist, Niels Onstenk (Nike Laos). They’ve taken a lot of inspiration from a mix of the old and new school funk from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Prince, and James Brown to Vulfpeck, PJ Morton and Jamiroquai and have been taking these songs on the road as Works in Progress Shows that included Studio De Bakkerij, NEMO Science Museum Rooftop, and Haarlem Jazz Festival. Fine tuning the recordings based off tweaks found in performing them live. Though Funk serves as the backbone for the set and Curtis’s music in general, come along and discover the versatility on display with a show that ebbs and flows between soothing soul to foot-stomping, hip-rocking, shoulder-shaking funky grooves!