MPSHOWS.com presents: Johnny Dynamite · Ghost Days · The Johnstons

Johnny Dynamite is the solo alias of synth-centric singer/songwriter and producer John Morisi, though at times Dynamite is joined by his band “The Bloodsuckers”. Inspired by the illustrative work of his grandfather, acclaimed comic book artist, and Brooklyn native Pete Morisi, Dynamite took on the name of one of his most iconic characters, an anti-hero detective from the underworld; "Johnny Dynamite". Emerging in the mid-2010s as a staple of the Greater New York DIY basement scene, Dynamite eventually settled in Brooklyn himself. Laying down roots after years of touring, Dynamite has taken time to develop his mostly self-recorded craft through setting up small bedroom studios across the city (wherever he resides) as well as making a name for himself playing out with his band, establishing his love of rock n’ roll.

The Johnstons were a popular Irish group in the late 1960s and early 1970s, out of Slane, a small village north of Dublin, Ireland (more recently known for its annual outdoor concerts at Slane Castle). The band gained fame on both sides of the Atlantic. The final lineup was stabilized in 1967, with sisters Luci and Adrienne Johnston, plus Mick Moloney and Paul Brady. The group was influenced by traditional Irish music, skiffle, and of course the American folk revival of the '60s, with which they are most often associated today. Moloney left in 1971, followed by Brady in 1973, by which time the group was no longer as significant as it had been. The Johnstons remain influential for mixing genuine traditional Irish music with popular folk of the day, and particularly for bringing close four-part vocal harmonies to traditional Irish songs. The Johnstons played a reunion concert in Canada in 1976, but never performed again. Adrienne Johnston died under mysterious circumstances on May 27, 1981 (age 35) in the U.S.