With the Yankees out of the MLB playoffs that means we can root for London’s Sports Team Tuesday night. The oddball guitar rockers are pulling into New York City to play a headlining gig at Baby’s All Right. And if this show is anything like what we witnessed in June at Elsewhere, you’ll want a front-row seat. The gig is part of a tour that follows the release of their new EP, Making Hay, which is available now on all streaming services and on special etched vinyl via Bright Antenna Records.

Formed at the University of Cambridge, Sports Team gets an A++ for charisma. The six-piece is a tenacious lot of friends who know their way around instruments and enjoy making music together. It’s clear in their impressive full-throttle live shows and gonzo music videos.

Sonically, the group cites American bands such as Pavement and the Modern Lovers as influences. They base their infectious music around driving guitar riffs. And, their lyrics refer to everyday life in England. Inspired by poet John Betjeman, Sports Team romanticizes the mundane, such as the act of driving a car down the M5 or living in the British suburbs.

The band consists of lead singer Alex Rice, guitarist and songwriter Rob Knaggs, drummer Al Greenwood, guitarist Henry Young, bassist Oli Dewdney, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Mac. Mac is a Joel Gion-like figure in the group. Gion was the tambourine player in the Brian Jonestown Massacre who added flavor to the band. At live shows, Mac is deadpan. As for Rice, he’s a real showman. His job is to get the crowd riled, which he fully embraces. He emanates Mick Jagger vibes with his good looks, luminous smile, and exaggerated body gestures.

Sports Team’s Making Hay is a collection of five songs that the group has been playing out on the regular. They worked on the EP with Burke Reid who produced Courtney Barnett’s last two solo albums, Tell Me How You Really Feel and Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit.

If you’re still not sold on Sports Team, we suggest watching the videos below. We’ve included something we shot at the band’s show at Elsewhere. It finds them performing “Lander,” a song that isn’t on any of their records to date. Also posted are music videos for “Fishing,” “Here It Comes Again,” and “M5.” After a few more shows in the U.S., the band heads back to the UK for more (see dates below). You can listen to EP Making Hay here.

Sports Team Tour Dates
10/22 – New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right
10/24 – Washington, DC @ DC9
10/27 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
10/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
10/31 – Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge
11/1 – Minneapolis, MN @ Icehouse

11/17 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
11/18 – Norwich, UK @ Norwich Arts Centre
11/20 – Southampton, UK @ The Loft
11/21 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
11/22 – Tunbridge Wells, UK @ The Forum
11/24 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
11/25 – Newcastle, UK @ Riverside
11/27 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
11/28 – Leeds, UK @ The Wardrobe
11/29 – Liverpool, UK @ Arts Club
11/30 – Oxford, UK @ Merton College
12/4 – Cambridge, UK @ The Portland Arms
12/5 – London, UK @ O2 Kentish Town Forum