Oh EOTO!

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock or you just haven’t been paying attention, I’d like to inform you that the IndyMojo crew is bringing EOTO to the Vogue this Thursday, April 28th! Now you probably know a little something about EOTO, but in case you don’t, their bio reads like this: “Throbbing bass and thudding beats are the signatures of this project from drummers Michael Travis and Jason Hann. Born out of their shared love of electronic dance music, EOTO’s M.O. is to take the free-wheeling party vibe of a DJ set to the next level by using organic instruments, innovative performance technology, and uncharted musical exploration. Live drums, guitars, and keys, and vocals are mixed, remixed, and sampled on the fly using cutting-edge programs. This is all done without a script, and without a net.”

Something else you may or may not know is that Travis and Hann are also members of The String Cheese Incident and certified warriors of the road; their current tour features an astounding 60 shows in 64 days! Even with a grueling schedule offering little down-time, I had the opportunity to conduct a phone interview with Jason Hann about EOTO’s time on the road, what it takes to make an EOTO show successful, and the addition of VJ-extraordinaire Peter Berdovsky, better known as Zebbler.

After a quick introduction and a confession of how “giddy excited” I was for the chance to talk with him (yes, I said giddy), we started off by addressing life on the road and having only 4 days off in just over two month’s time. What I really wanted to know was how they find the time to relax with that kind of schedule. Without hesitation, Jason exclaimed, “We after-party every night! After a show, we’re really revved up. When we after-party, we get to party and relax at the same time.”

Coming off a show in Pawtucket, RI, the EOTO crew was heading to West Dover, Vermont that night for an intimate charity event that would only have about 100 people in attendance. So, how does a band whose entire show is improv and normally draws from the energy of hundreds of people connect with such a smaller group? Hann explained, “No matter who is there, we just try to rock those people as hard as possible. For a smaller audience, we will experiment more; there’s more freedom to do something different…something quirky.”

To me, it seems that trying new things has greatly added to the intensity of EOTO's shows over the past few years. If you check out early EOTO recordings, you’ll find a lot of the jams are more progressive psychedelic in nature rather than the harder, dub-laden shows of late. Hann confessed, “When you are at shows and you see people entrenched in and responding to more aggressive bass lines, you start to see how they are affected by it.” He went on to clarify, “[EOTO shows] are a roller coaster ride between the aggressive stuff and the mellower electronica stuff to keep people with us. If we stay with electronica for too long, people just start to stare at us.”

Video of EOTO in 2007!

Talking about different types of shows and how the energy of a crowd doesn’t necessarily rely on the number of people led us to the topic of Zebbler, a visual performance artist with a keen eye for stellar effects and a poignant approach to lighting live shows. “He’s been a huge, awesome addition to shows. It’s all original content and with all the visual, it isn’t hard to let your mind go somewhere else.”

A sample of some of Zebbler's work with EOTO

One of the most intriguing aspects of EOTO for me is how different their sound is from SCI. “String Cheese is a different type of musical experience,” affirmed Hann, “if we recreated something String Cheese-y, it wouldn’t be honest. We aren’t the main songwriters of that band. EOTO came from jamming ourselves for hours on end and enjoying doing so.”

The final thing I wanted to touch upon was how the Midwest measures up to the other regions they had and would be visiting during this run. “Beside Colorado, the Midwest crowd is probably the strongest in the electronica scene. We’re always pleasantly surprised by how much further into it they are each time we come back.” When I brought up the Indy scene specifically, Jason proclaimed, “Indy always has a great turn-out; it will be nice to get back in there!”

With a dying phone battery Jason didn’t have much more time, so I thanked him profusely for the time he had spared and wished him and Travis safe travels until I see them at the Vogue.

I totally have a crush on EOTO.



If you still aren’t sure about hitting up this show Thursday, April 28th at the Vogue, check out EOTO’s website to help make up your mind.

For additional information about the show, go to the IndyMojo presents... EOTO @ The Vogue event page.

Thursday April 28
Doors open at 8pm
$18

Get your tickets here!

BUY ADVANCE TICKETS and GET FREE EOTO DOWNLOAD!
Please forward your receipt to eoto.eoto@gmail.com to receive the link and password to download the New Year's EOTO show in Denver.

Oh, and don't forget to hit up the show early and check out Kodama. He'll be bringing his mix of electronica beats to get the party started!


Until then, stay safe and dance in the rain!
music.love.KG.

Read more: KG's blog on IndyMojo.com!

Cornmeal Returns to Indy!

So, what would happen if you comprised a show of Chicago’s most notable bluegrass jam band with Indianapolis’ favorite face-melting funk crew and then threw in one of the rockinest folk rock bands in the Midwest? Well, my friends, why not hit up the Vogue in Broad Ripple this Friday and find out?

Cornmeal will be rolling through town to offer up some foot-stompin’ jams with Indy’s own Twin Cats & Waldemere Revival rounding out a stellar line-up. Although all the bands are pretty progressive in their sounds, some folks might think it strange to pair up a predominantly bluegrass band and roots-y folk band with funk, but I happen to think IndyMojo is on to something with this one!


Cornmeal
photo taken from FB


Twin Cats
courtesy of Adam Alexander Photography


Waldemere Revival
photo taken from FB

When I recently asked the Twin Cats crew how they felt about a show that encompasses so many different types of music, drummer Adam Catron immediately threw out “It’s awesome…I love it!” Nick Gerlach, the Twin Cat’s saxophonist, declared, “It’s like a festival!” Bassist Cameron Reel went on to explain, “That is not just bluegrass. They have a banjo player; that is really all that makes it bluegrass. They are completely different. We get a lot of that, too; that we are not just a jam band. That’s two bands on the same bill that can’t be pigeon-holed.” The recent addition of Waldemere Revival adds yet another band that doesn’t fit into a certain genre. TWR has been taking the jam scene by storm in the last year with their unique sound and heart-pounding shows.

Catron went on to add, “All three bands are upbeat, ya know?” Reel offers up, “It will be a high energy show,” before Catron finishes. “I think all of us will be there to party and give all those people a good show.”

This will certainly be one of the more interesting shows to catch this spring. Even with all three bands have had shows in the Midwest recently, they haven’t been paired up quite like this. Be sure to stop by the Vogue this Friday, April 15th and see for yourself what happens!

In the meantime, check out some videos of all three bands to get you ready for the get down!

Cornmeal - Midnight

The Twin Cats - Straight Flush

The Waldemere Revival - Sweet Caroline

For full details, check out the event page-> IndyMojo presents.. Cornmeal & The Twin Cats @ The Vogue.

To learn more about each band, check out their Facebook pages and/or websites!
Cornmeal: Facebook/website
Twin Cats: Facebook/website
Waldemere Revival: Facebook/website

Hope to see you this Friday at the Vogue!


Until then, stay safe and enjoy the sunshine!
music.love.KG.

One last thing, check out Adam Alexander Photography to check out more amazing photos from recent Midwest shows!

Read more: KG's Blog on IndyMojo.com!

The Future (Rock) Unfolds!

If you’ve ever been to a Future Rock show, then you’ve probably seen the blinding light show, heard the psychedelic jams, and felt the temperature rise as a crowd full of people went crazy on the dance floor. What you probably didn’t get to see is the amount of time and hard work that goes into making a show like that happen. Last week before their show at The Bluebird in Bloomington, IN, I was given the opportunity to sit down and have dinner with not only the three members who make up the band, but a couple of the other guys who help take it to the next level.

Of course bassist Felix Moreno, keyboardist Mickey Kellerman, and drummer Darren Heitz were there. Add to the table their manager Leif Moravy and the newest addition to their crew, Alex “Herm” Schneider, and you have a group of guys who know how to make shit happen. ..but not without a lot of long hours and sacrifice. While discussing the stigma of the “rock star” lifestyle, Mickey is the first to set it straight. “People go to shows and that’s all they see…during the show. Touring, setting up, tearing down; it’s a lot of work.” Felix chimes in, “Yeah, and when you have a bad show, it sucks. You just worked your ass off and you bombed…and if you end tour on a bad note, it just sits with you. You always want to end on a high note.” Given their recent break in touring, I asked what it is they do in their time off. With a slight chuckle, Mickey asks, “What time off?” “We all work,” confesses Felix. “We all have jobs; that’s life!” After discussing how most people would be surprised that Future Rock isn’t a “money-machine,” we touched on the subject of the relationship between a band and their fans as well as the availability of music. “I think the internet has really freed music up, and it’s wonderful!” explains Felix. “Like our new EP, Nights; it will be available to download for free some places, but you’ll also be able to go to Amazon and iTunes to buy it…and people will. If they like it and think it’s worth it, they’ll pay the money. It’s great!”

As we sat around chatting and discussing the show from the night before, I took some time to get a feel for the guys around me. It didn’t take long to understand the dynamic of their group. Felix is the outspoken one; always engaging in conversation and not afraid to speak his mind on a subject. Mickey is a bit more laid-back; he’s focused on what is going on and adds to the conversation if he has something to say. Darren is the most reserved; super laid-back and okay to just be in the situation. Leif is the boss. If a question comes up or there is a piece of information someone is unclear about, Leif is there to set it straight. He’s a man of high expectations and holds a position of great respect among the guys. If Leif says it’s a go, it goes. If he says it doesn’t, it won’t. He keeps things in order, in-line, and doesn’t mess around when it comes to managing his crew. He’s always on-point and keeps things running as smoothly as you can when working with such differing personalities.

The final guy at the table is no stranger to me or most of the Midwest music scene. Alex Schneider, most commonly known as “Herm” in the scene, joined the Future Rock ranks about a year ago. As the owner and top lighting designer of Herm Productions, his lights have been seen all over the Midwest festival circuit, and beyond, for more than three years. He is also known for bringing some of the best music to the Bloomington scene. After seeing dozens of shows with Herm on lights, it isn’t hard to see why Future Rock would want him accenting their shows with his own style of dramatic lighting and stellar special effects. When I asked the guys what it was like to work with the “dready kid,” they all jokingly threw in a barrage of “awfuls” and “pain-in-the-asses” before Felix admits, “He works harder than all of us. He’s the first to start working, and, at the end of the night, he’s the last to finish. He never stops!”

A defining theme throughout dinner was how much these guys like hanging out and teasing each other. There was a lot of heckling and even an argument over who is the mouthiest, but in the end, you can tell they genuinely care about one another. “When you’re in a band for so long, it’s like a weird family,” explains Felix. “Like last night, Leif told me my playing sucked, so I threw a drink at him.” Herm and Mickey throw out, “Two drinks!” before he continues. “Yeah, two drinks! And today, we’re fine. You get over things and move on.”

Later that night, as the band took the stage, I noticed the “family” aspect of their group adds a unique facet to their show. With Herm standing in wait, fingers on the keys of his light board, he looks to Leif on sound for his cue. All at once, the five of them start the show with an electrifying jolt. From the very first note to the climactic end of each song, they are a machine. They know each move before it is made and can anticipate how it should look, sound, and feel. On-stage, the band comes alive; each of them dancing, jumping up and down, and interacting with a zealous and appreciative crowd. Off stage, Herm hits every transition with notable flair and blows out the stage with giant LED bars and movers throwing color in every direction. Leif took in every detail while making sure the sound was up to par.


photo by KG


photo by Kelsey Ransom


photo by KG


photo by Kelsey Ransom


photo by Kelsey Ransom


photo by Kelsey Ransom


Check out this stellar video of Future Rock at the Bluebird!
footage by Sara Elifritz


When they had hit their final peak and brought the show to an end, they thanked everyone for coming and left the crowd dripping with sweat and reeling from the two hours of music pounding the inside of their skulls. All-in-all, the show was filled with big beats, bold lighting, and a very powerful blend of electronica, house, and rock. I stayed after to let the guys know that I really appreciated the time they took out to talk with me and for trusting me with their stories from the road. Equipped with a new Future Rock hat, I left feeling like I was in some way a small part of their “weird family.”


Herm, Darren, Felix, Leif, Mickey
photo by KG


If you haven’t had a chance to download Future Rock’s new single "Nights" and/or you want to know where you can catch them this spring/summer, check out their Facebook page or website to find out more!

A very special "thank you" goes out to my beautiful friends Kelsey Ransom for the amazing photos and Sara Elifritz for the stellar video!

Next, I'll be hitting up IndyMojo presents.. Cornmeal & The Twin Cats @ The Vogue...visit the event page for full details. In the meantime, "Like" the IndyMojo.com page to stay in the loop on some stellar upcoming shows including the 4.20 Tent Party, EOTO at the Vogue, and MojoStock!

Until next time, be safe and enjoy the sunshine!
music.love.KG.

Read more: Check out KG's blog in its entirety on IndyMojo.com!