Wednesday, March 12   1:00 a.m.
Beauty Bar   (617 E 7th St)

  Tim William & The Arcade Stars - Shes So 80s
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Tim William is driven. Now 20 years old, Tim is a man who has been destined for the musical limelight since birth. It is clear that music is something that is constantly coursing through Tim’s veins. Tim was fortunate to grow up in a family whose passion and pastime is creating, perfecting, enjoying, and sharing melody and song. The result of being surrounded by such accomplished and enthused artists provided an environment that was extremely conducive to the expression of creativity, no matter the medium. From a young age, Tim was exposed to a seemingly endless variety of musical styles, and constantly had volumes of information at his fingertips. These factors combined to create Tim’s most outstanding strength – his own unique style that boldly strays from what is comfortable into uncharted territory. Tim has an uncanny ability to listen to music critically and analytically, dissecting it piece by piece in order to create the ideal arrangement. He is drawn to unique, sharp, and poignant sounds, always operating with the philosophy that limitations do not exist. “Composition is about experimentation with all types of sounds. It’s whatever appeals to my ear.”

A child of the 80’s, Tim was raised in Kew Gardens in Queens, NY. In his early high school years, Tim’s artistic expression manifested itself mostly through graffiti and drawing. In his junior year, Tim came into close contact with DJ H&M (now known as Peter Parker) and began channeling his energy into hip hop. It was not long before Tim involved himself heavily in the production game. At 17, he landed a track on a Papoose Mix Tape that got a huge amount of radio play on New York’s HOT 97. Throughout the rest of his high school career, Tim’s skills on the boards and the microphone constantly improved as his level of focus and drive was and is constantly on the rise.

Upon graduating high school, Tim moved on to Queensborough Community college started studying piano and jazz theory. Tim quickly began to transform his MC persona into the image of a singer and songwriter. In his first year of school, he wrote and recorded a song for a school project entitled “Born without Wings.” The creative brilliance of the record astounded and impressed professors, family, friends, and everyone who heard it. Many compared this new sound to N.E.R.D., Justin Timberlake, and Prince. The growing buzz surrounding “Born without Wings” caused his teachers to see that his natural musical ability combined with his fortitude and immense smarts made for an explosive combination resulting in a refreshing new sound. Members of Tim’s academic community repeatedly urged Tim to consider the idea that “school is like a cocoon holding you back.” Tim soon recognized that he must take advantage of his own youth and strive to achieve his goals without apprehension. Tim William possessed the talent and determination to succeed. Within a semester (January 2007), Tim left school to concentrate on writing, playing, and singing.

In March 2007, formed a four-piece band called THE ARCADE STARS with 3 high school friends. What makes Tim William’s music unique and appealing is the amalgamation of so many seemingly contradictory influences. Having grown up with classical and jazz music while being drawn into hip hop and graffiti and then having gone on to study music theory while learning the ways of Prince and Pharell, Tim’s music has gained unprecedented range as well as boundless potential. Even Tim himself seems like a walking contradiction; much of his music is like that of a futuristic 80’s punk rocker, whereas his persona is reserved and contemplative. He is young, but musically mature. While today’s artist is typically introverted and reclusive, Tim spends much of his time working one-on-one with autistic children. It is Tim’s belief that each person’s quality of life should be as high as possible, and we all must work together in order to achieve this ideal. Even Tim’s personal style reflects this principle. He is walking billboard for self expression and creativity. The message of Tim’s music and aesthetic is that we must do what we like, and don’t put it off. The time to go for what you want is now.