The twelve night ‘Dirty Dozen’ co-headlining run with Twiddle and Kung Fu kicked off last night in Buffalo at Iron Works, and continues tonight in Syracuse at the Westcott Theater. Along with the Buffalo and Syracuse dates, there is a stop at Albany’s Upstate Concert Hall, teaming up with local favorites Mister F. The tour is full of surprises, with no set times being announced, which is exactly the kind of antics fans anticipate with two powerhouse bands such as these two artists. The two bands teamed up for a sold out show in December to benefit Toys for Tots and have both been touring extensively since then.

NYSmusic sent some interview questions to the Twiddle guys, and they all chimed in with their answers below. Be sure to catch them while you can!

Jen Foster: First off, how excited are you for a no-holds-barred tour with Kung Fu?

Twiddle: We’re always extra amped for any gig with Kung Fu. They are role models for us in the scene, and have been amazing mentors/frends for Twiddle as we continue to grow.

Jen Foster: When you imagine this kind of tour, what do you hope for more than anything?

Twiddle: We don’t have any expectations. We are leaving the set times and schedule very open ended so anything can happen. We hope to do some really fun collaborative stuff with Kung Fu that everyone digs. The idea is to have as much fun as possible.

Jen Foster: What will happen when Ryan Dempsey and Todd Stoops create the ultimate keyboard spaceship?

Twiddle: It’s gonna get weird, in a really good way. Expect that dirty alien funk.

Jen Foster: The term Kungwiddle has been flying around like wildfire. Do you foresee this one of many co-billed shows and band crossovers?

Twiddle: Yes. We especially love our annual Toys for Tots show with them in CT. It always feels good to play with incredible musicians, and help kids at the same time.

Jen Foster: Twiddle just finished the “Donde Esta Norb?” tour, and now you’re headed to Costa Rica for Jungle Jam. It has already been a very successful start to the year. Are you at all surprised with the amount of success in the past year?

Twiddle: We’re always blown away by our fans. They are building an amazing community that is turning into a family. As far as success is concerned, Madison House is doing a great job of getting us on some amazing show/festival bills. Especially Red Rocks with S.C.I.

Jen Foster: Fans of both Twiddle and Kung Fu are over the moon about this upcoming tour. What kind of hijinks can we look forward to?

Twiddle: The idea of not announcing set times is to send a message for fans to get there early and stay late. Anything is possible. We have a few filthy tricks up our sleeves but where would the fun be in telling anyone?

Jen Foster: NYSMusic’s readers are very excited for the upcoming Upstate shows in Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany. Once the Spring tour is behind you, what summer music festivals are you most looking forward to playing?

Twiddle: The upstate NY markets are slowly becoming marquis/anchor cities for us. Castleton, where we met, is literally on the NY border with Vermont. We love New York. As for the summer, we are making repeat appearances at big fests like Summer Camp, Wakarusa, The Peach and Gathering of the Vibes. It is always humbling to see our name next to big time artists. However, the smaller fests like Disc Jam and the Frendly Gathering allow us to see all of our New England frends and family. The Frendly Gathering is in Vermont and we spend the whole weekend there. It is home.

Dirty Dozen Tour kung fu twiddle

Twiddle talks to NYSMusic about the Dirty Dozen Tour