Damn Tall Buildings

…The Carter Family for the millennial generation……” – The Boston Globe
Damn Tall Buildings is a celebrated folk-bluegrass band known for their soulful melodies and intricate instrumentals. Based in Brooklyn, this seasoned trio—Max Capistran, Sasha Dubyk, and Avery Ballotta—has spent over a decade honing their craft through dedicated touring and recording. With a distinctive sound that weaves heartfelt lyrics into masterful fiddle, guitar, and bass arrangements, they embody a unique blend of Americana roots and contemporary finesse. From intimate local venues to larger global stages, their magnetic performances resonate deeply, leaving a lasting mark on audiences around the world.

Representation and Touring Formats

Representation: Exclusive – North America
Touring Formats:  Trio
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Damn Tall Buildings is a celebrated folk-bluegrass band known for their soulful melodies and intricate instrumentals. Based in Brooklyn, this seasoned trio—Max Capistran, Sasha Dubyk, and Avery Ballotta—has spent over a decade honing their craft through dedicated touring and recording. With a distinctive sound that weaves heartfelt lyrics into masterful fiddle, guitar, and bass arrangements, they embody a unique blend of Americana roots and contemporary finesse. From intimate local venues to larger global stages, their magnetic performances resonate deeply, leaving a lasting mark on audiences around the world.

Initially honing their skills through busking, Damn Tall Buildings brings an infectious energy to their music. Their varied influences extend beyond bluegrass, infusing elements of old-time, blues, and jazz into their songwriting. With seamless vocal harmonies and captivating instrumental solos, the trio creates a cohesive sound that feels greater than the sum of its parts. As they continue to travel and grow, Damn Tall Buildings fosters a welcoming spirit, inviting audiences to join them on a journey through their vibrant, well-crafted performances. Critics have praised their ability to establish a musical blend that defies categorization, offering a warm and reflective embrace that is both enthusiastic and deeply resonant.

Our audiences were absolutely blown away by them!! I heard from several people that they were just going to watch a few songs and go try to catch another band but they couldn’t tear themselves away!
And it’s a bonus that they are simply the nicest humans.  – Jenny Hirt, Durango Bluegrass Meltdown

 

Sleeping Dogs

Written by Michael K. Brantley | Bluegrass Unlimited

It’s not a stretch at all to believe that Damn Tall Buildings got their start busking on the streets of Boston.  It’s been written that they are “bluegrass with a little punch, attitude, grit and gravy”—that’s about right.

The Boston Globe even managed to reference Flatt & Scruggs, Nickel Creek, Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, the Avett Brothers and Johnny Cash when trying to describe their sound. Okay.

Another publication called them “the Carter Family for millennials.” I don’t know.  Did I mention they are based out of Brooklyn?  The point is this trio creates fun, original music with a serious bounce. They are in that clearcut genre of bluegrass, swing, Americana, folk. Uh-huh.

The group’s third album—Sleeping Dogs—is fast, fun and loose and when a band is having so much fun making their music, it is hard not to tap a foot right along with them.  All of the songs are original, most written by guitar/banjo/vocalist Max Capistan. Bassist and vocalist Sasha Dubyk wrote one song (and did the album art) and another tune was penned by violinist and vocalist Avery Ballotta.

To give an idea of how eclectic—yet smooth—the album is, guests on the album bring in flute, drums, steel, trumpet and keyboard—all blended and not jarring.  All three band members collaborated on one of Sleeping Dogs’ best tunes, “Podcast.” The first single, “Cold Rain,” is solid as well. “Lemons” offers an unexpected restart just when the listener thinks it’s going to end and “Patio” is another hard to resist piece with Dubyk in the lead. read more…

Damn Tall Buildings bring their “raucous roots vibe to the Parlor Room 10/13

We caught up with the trio from Brooklyn during their hectic visit to the International Bluegrass Music Association conference in Raleigh, NC. We previewed a handful of tunes from the last two albums, “Don’t Look Down” and recent release, “Sleeping Dogs”. Give them a listen while we chat with the trio of Max, Sasha and Montana about a wide variety of topics including Freshgrass appearances, the IBMA showcases, songwriting for bandmates, co-writing issues, recent marriages and much more.! The Berklee trained trio started busking in Boston adding to their performance chops early on. The road beckoned after graduation and it was non-stop touring and album releases for nearly a decade. We talk about their pandemic circumstances and the genesis of the new release, “Sleeping Dogs”. The band has found it’s “authentic voice” with this release and their coming to town! Catch them at Northampton’s Parlor Room on October 13th.

Included in the segment is “Words To This Song” from “Don’t Look Down” as well as a handful of songs from “Sleeping Dogs” including “What A Nice Life”, “Cold Rain”, “Lemons” and “Podcast”.

Listen here!

Indie releases to spotlight by Damn Tall Buildings, Mike Browning, Blue Dogs and others.

by Lee Zimmerman, Indie Spotlight

The Brooklyn-based band Damn Tall Buildings share the sort of sentiment that’s much needed these days — a warm, reflective, down-home embrace that purveys an old school approach by way of songs that are undeniably effusive and enthusiastic. The title of their new album — their third to date — Sleeping Dogs , may hint at that unpretentious approach, but it’s the music itself, flush with old time instrumentation — fiddles, banjos, guitar and upright bass — that still manages to make an emphatic impression. The trio — Avery Ballotta, Max Capistran and Sasha Dubyk — share all the vocals and the majority of the songwriting credits as well, and as a result, they operate in sync with a shared enthusiasm that literally leaps from the grooves. This time around, they’ve expanded their reach, incorporating trumpet, drums, flutes, lap steel, and keys, but even so, their unassuming attitude remains undiminished. Damn Tall Buildings may boast a handle of sky high proportions, but happily this particular outfit comes across as decidedly down to earth.

 

ALBUM REVIEW: Damn Tall Buildings Construct a Fresh Sound on ‘Sleeping Dogs’

by Nancy Posey, No Depression

 Damn Tall Buildings’ latest album, Sleeping Dogs, would fit perfectly in a festival dance tent, and it’s just as suitable for singing in the car at full volume. The unpredictable, often rapid-paced original lyrics of Sleeping Dogs are clever and playful, with refrains that lend themselves to singing along.

With this, the band’s third full length album, Damn Tall Buildings establishes their unique musical blend that defies both comparison and categorization. Max Capistran, Sasha Dubyk, and Avery Ballotta first began playing together as students at Berklee College of Music, often busking on the streets of Boston. Their music, strongly rooted in bluegrass, is influenced by jazz, swing, Americana, and old-time music. read more…

 

Album Review: Damn Tall Buildings, ‘Sleeping Dogs’

by Kim Ruehl, Folk Alley

This year has been full of new releases that were written—or at least recorded—during pandemic lockdown. It’s been interesting to see all the artistic directions people were taking during that giant pause in the world. While many folks spent the time ruminating on life’s big questions and how to navigate a new paradigm, it would seem Damn Tall Buildings came away with a certain trench humor on their new album, Sleeping Dogs (out today).

All things considered, it’s refreshing to hear them couch dark, emotional lyricism amid such throw-your-cares-to-the-wind instrumentation. Yes, times are hard. We’re all lonesome and exhausted and overwhelmed. But we can still have fun.

There’s a certain chaos and resignation to the disc, but also a determination to find joy. It is as though someone handed Pippi Longstocking a banjo. read more…

 

Bluegrass Among the Damn Tall Buildings

by Stephen Yusko, NYS Music

Bluegrass grows among the Damn Tall Buildings in Brooklyn. Music discovery is quite an expedition; you never know what you’re going to find. Brooklyn is a melting pot, with its cacophony of beautiful genre influences, which can be heard moment by moment as you walk down its litered city streets. Discovering the band, Damn Tall Buildings is an absolute joy.

Assembled now as a trio, this Americana-Bluegrass band hails from various points around America, from Montana, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. Max Capistran is the main lyricist, playing guitar and banjo while contributing vocals. Avery Ballotta, plays the fiddle and banjo and vocal harmonies. Sasha Dubyk completes the vocal trifecta with her beautiful voice while playing the Upright Bass.

On September ninth, they released their latest album, Sleeping Dogs. Playing their album and getting to know the band, I interviewed two members on the The Long Island Sound podcast. Max Capistran, and Avery Ballotta recounted their beginnings and their decade -long relationship which resulted in a friendship that is clearly exposed in their newly released album. Starting out as buskers on Newbury Street in Boston, they began touring nationally, and then moved the band to Brooklyn in 2017. They connect in the day to day interactions and hope their music brings joy to be spread around. read more….

Date

Venue/Lineup

Location

3/20/2025 Manship Theatre at Shaw Center For the Arts
 Baton Rouge, La
3/28/2025 Roy's Hall
 Blairstown, NJ
3/29/2025 The Riviera Theater
 Geneseo , NY
3/30/2025 Beacon on Aurora
 Ithaca, NY
4/25/2025 MerleFest
 Wilkesboro, NC
5/09/2025 Albino Skunk Music Festival
 Greer, SC
5/10/2025 Falany Performing Arts Center
 Waleska, GA
5/17/2025 Blackstone River Theatre
 Cumberland, RI
5/18/2025 Brewster Academy
 Wolfeboro, NH
6/20/2025 Smoked Country Jam
 Avis, PA
7/17/2025 San Miguel Mission
 Santa Fe, NM
8/17/2025 The Earl Smith Strand Theatre
 Marietta, GA
9/18/2025 - 9/19/2025 Walnut Valley Festival
 Winfield, KS
4/11/2026 Fine and Performing Arts Center
 Palos Hills, IL

Publicist

Erin Scholze
828-776-6248

www.dreamspider.net

 

Our workshops begin with the history of American Roots music and its evolution starting with its origins coming from slave trade and immigrants from the British Isles. We’ll take a journey through the genres within the American Roots umbrella, highlighting all of the similarities and differences. Using our bluegrass instruments, we will then learn about each instrument, its history and the role it plays when working within a band. Through the lens of American Roots music history and the instrumentation of a bluegrass band, we can see how completely different genres/instruments with drastically different purposes/sounds can work together to create something bigger than just itself. WIth all of the knowledge learnt about rhythm and pitch, we will apply the responsibilities of each instrument to a section of the workshop audience, finally all performing (through clapping and singing) a piece together that connects all of our individual parts.