EOTO, STS9, Zilla, Kyle Hollingsworth - Memories of Denver

I wanted to throw a post up that in many ways recounted the vast majority of my musical experiences while living in Denver, CO for a year.  I remember moving out to Denver shortly after I graduated college, and I was fortunate enough to rekindle some great friendships from my childhood.  In doing so, I had the pleasure of accompanying said friends to a bunch of jam-band concerts at Red Rocks, The Ogden, The Fillmore, Boulder Theatre, The Fox, The Bluebird Theater & Cervantes!  Yes indeed, we went to a lot of concerts, and it was an absolutely amazing time.  We of course saw many different acts, but these were the ones that stood out in my memory as having the most lasting impression.

EOTO (Elephants Only Talk Occasionally)







This little duo is a spin-off from The String Cheese Incident, made up of Michael Travis and Jason Hann.  It is on the illustrious SCI Fidelity Records, of which my good friend is a faithful employee.  She was also the ticket-angel, and the one we were so often piggy-backing into shows with (thank you for all of that AH!).  These guys are an electronic act that prides itself on improvisation, and they really let it fly... on the fly when they are on stage.  I have seen it live three or four times, and it is really a unique show every single time.  I am not even sure they play the same song the same way more than once, which is reminiscent of many jazz/blues ensembles you see playing the smokey lounges in major cities.  They really do put on an incredible show.

-Mission-
This is probably my favorite song from the self-titled album EOTO.  I love the swift guitar work, and then the haunting reverb that takes over in the middle really rounds it all out.



They have three recorded albums that are pretty interesting examples of their work, but they also do a fantastic job of getting around the touring scene.  They are actually playing in Bellefontaine, OH here on 9/9/11 at a small festival.  Not sure how far that is, but won't be able to go due to an awesome wedding coming up!

STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector Nine)








I think the night before I went to see these guys I kept having to ask my buddy what their name was.  I kept thinking it was "Spaceballs" for some reason, and that became a running joke for a while.  This five man band is one of the better known touring jam bands, and will be coming to Cincinnati on 10/14/11 at the Madison Theatre.  I have seen them in concert at Red Rocks, and it was an absolutely phenomenal show.  I actually remember seeing a fire twirler accidentally let go of one of his gas-filled ball-on-chain things, and it floated down 20 rows, hit a girl in the back, she turned and looked at it, and turned back around as if nothing had happened.  I guess that is sort of a hint at the kind of super-laid-back (almost too much) people you may meet at an STS9 concert.  I know I would have flipped a lid if I got hit with a fire ball, especially if I had hair down to my waist.  But I digress...  I have been really fond of STS9 since, and really enjoy recalling all the good times I had at their concerts when I throw a CD of theirs in.  They don't have many recorded CDs, and are more known for handing out great recordings of their live shows.

-Be Nice-
This is the song I always seem to go nuts for when I hear it live.  I absolutely love the introduction, and the deep punishing baseline that continually hits the down-beat in different spots of the intro layer.  I just think it is a really REALLY cool sounding song.



As I said, they are mostly known for their live work, and when they get in the studio it seems to change their sound in a way that I can't expressly say is for better or for worse.  I got to know them live, and as a result have decided that is the way I would like to keep them.

ZILLA








This is another String Cheese Incident off-shoot with Michael Travis at the helm.  This is a band that seems to focus pretty heavily on the dulcimer, which is an instrument that Joni Mitchell helped to make famous.  They really do a nice job of centering their work around it, and it is such a unique sound, that it in turn gives Zilla a sound they can call their own.  Once again this is a very improvisational band, and one that tends to focus on a bit more of an acoustic sound-scape.

-Spokes-
Definitely my favorite of their songs.  I really think this is just a beautiful song, and it really highlights the importance of the dulcimer. This is from their all iZ album which is really a pretty interesting album if you get a chance to check it out.

Find more songs like Spokes at Myspace Music

Couldn't find anything on youtube, so how about a MySpace embed?? lol...

KYLE HOLLINGSWORTH







This guy is just an incredible jazz pianist.  There is no other way to say it.  He has some influences from many different types of music, but I would say for the most part he focuses on jazz and some blues.  He is also very improvisational like his other jam band buddies, and he puts on one hell of a show.  I saw this guy at The Fox, and it was an absolutely wonderful show, and he is one to really connect with the crowd and involve them as well.

-The Arc-
This is just a really cool song, and it is my favorite off of his Never Odd or Even album.  It almost sounds like some theme song from a Bond movie, but nevertheless, its awesome.  Again I had to MySpace it... doh..

Find more artists like Kyle Hollingsworth at Myspace Music

Hope you all enjoyed a little taste of jam band heaven.  If anyone is ever interested in going to a show, these guys all seem to make it around these parts a lot.  You can track them on jambase.com!

Thanks for stopping through!

-CS