Hazmat Modine will celebrate friendship among people of all ages and backgrounds with a concert
The New York-based band, blending blues, world music, and jazz into a sophisticated yet explosive mix of joy and urgency, has titled its current tour the “Good Friend Tour.” A sense of togetherness and camaraderie will also be shared on June 9, 2026, at Prague’s Rock Café club.
Why the “Good Friend Tour”? It’s not just because one of the band’s songs carries that name. The reason is clear: the grim current global situation, shaped by authoritarian, self-absorbed politicians. “In America, as elsewhere in the world, these are strange times. And the only real support and light in these dark days is friendship. Friendship between people, friendship between cultures and nations,” explain the members of Hazmat Modine.
They lead by example. The band’s lineup is as multicultural as their home city of New York, “fed by diasporas of sounds woven into its history.” “We are an ensemble of men and women of different ages and diverse roots. We find connection in music and friendship. Because everyone needs good friends.” Naturally, the music itself is just as diverse—rooted in American blues and jazz, yet branching out with influences from all corners of the world.
Hazmat Modine was founded in the late 1990s by songwriter, singer, and diatonic harmonica and guitar player Wade Schuman. The band’s distinctive name combines the term “hazardous material” with the brand name Modine, a manufacturer of heating equipment. And indeed, the musicians know how to fire things up—anyone who has attended their concerts can confirm that their full-throttle performances can feel like a health hazard.
The lineup has changed over the years, “as some moved away from New York and others retired,” but the spirit of this unmistakable ensemble and its principle of friendship have remained intact. Alongside the bandleader, the current lineup includes singer, guitarist, and banjo player Erik Della Penna (who has worked with Joan Baez and Natalie Merchant), Kenneth Bentley Jr. on sousaphone, Varun Das on drums (a jazz musician with a background in Indian music), Steve Elson on saxophones, clarinet, and Armenian duduk, Pamela Fleming on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Daisy Castro on violin and vocals.
Hazmat Modine has performed in more than forty countries worldwide, including frequent returns to the Czech Republic. They have also appeared at the prestigious 75th Nobel Prize ceremony. Their music was featured in the 2011 film Pina, directed by Wim Wenders. They have released five studio albums and one live album, gaining international attention with their debut Bahamut (2006). Their most recent release is Bonfire (2023), described as “a collection of songs from a restless America.” Their upcoming material is planned as a tribute to recently deceased founding member Joseph Daley, a tuba and sousaphone player—adding another layer of meaning to the tour’s theme and the song “Good Friend.”

PRESALE HERE!