Mambo-X rose to become one of the Capital Region’s most popular original pop acts from 1985-1988. Propelled by the twirling stage theatrics of singer Erin O’Hara, happy guitars, and kinetic rhythms, the band gigged extensively, performing on bills with the Tom Tom Club, Billy Bragg, 10,000 Maniacs, The Feelies, and many others. The band recorded two albums, ‘Machines of Eden’ and ‘Whirled’. Then, to celebrate their newly offered record deal, the band broke up.
In the intervening decades, O’Hara signed to Arista Records and then began working on film soundtracks, writing the score for the Oscar-nominated Sicko, among other works. Rosen honed his computer skills and became a database expert in North Carolina. Kaufman, who led several NYC bands, is now a bestselling ghostwriter. And Seney, who still gigs regularly with The Kyle Bourgault Band, is a Captain in the Troy Police Department.
In 2020, O’Hara, Kaufman, and Rosen reconvened to work on a long-distance recording project.
Now, 37 years later, O’Hara will reunite with her co-founder guitarists Seth Kaufman and Mitch Rosen, plus drummer Stephen Seney, who helped crystallize the Mambo sound, and his son, bassist Mikey Seney, on September 12th at Lark Hall. This special one-night-only event will mark the first time Mambo-X has played live together in nearly 4 decades and possibly for the last time ever.