Performances by the Amygdaloids, lectures on the neuroscience behind the band’s music, and magic tricks by Mark Mitton are among the acts in “The Brain in Words and Music,” to be held Wednesday, September 29, 7 p.m. at Don Hill’s (511 Greenwich Street [at Spring Street]). Admission is $10. For more information, call 212.219.2850. Subways: C, E (Spring Street).
In 2006, New York University neuroscientist Joe LeDoux and his colleagues formed a band, the Amygdaloids, named after the brain’s amygdala, which is known to be critical to the acquisition, expression, and processing of fears. The band plays original tunes about mind, brain, and mental disorders with the objective of increasing awareness of mental health issues through promotion of research via music.
At “The Brain in Words and Music,” the band will perform songs from its second CD, “Theory of My Mind,” which features Grammy winner Rosanne Cash on two tracks. The Amygdaloids will be joined by Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Ward White (McGinty and White), and Kathena Bryant (The Hippy Nuts). Two band members, LeDoux and drummer Daniela Schiller, will each present lectures on the neuroscience behind the band’s music.
The evening will also include a performance by Mark Mitton, a world-class magician who often works with bands, and a screening of two Amygdaloids music videos, introduced by their directors, Alexis Gambis and Noah Hutton.