The Jazzhaus got a bolt of electric goodness last night when a trio of dynamic electronic jam bands took the stage. Goodness Gracious, Slippy LaRue and Electric Theory are on a mini-tour of the midwest, spreading the dance tunes and good times all over Missouri and giving Lawrence a taste of the fun too. An enticing blend of thumping bass, rumbling drums and psychedelic guitar and synthesizer mixes captivated the audience from start to finish of this exhibition of fresh, original electric jams.
Goodness Gracious started off the evening with a combination of spacey synthesizer melodies and poppy dancing drums. Front man Mike Fitzsimons also played a guitar to great effect, adding riffs to the synth grooves for a fuller sound. The Saint Louis based band built hip-hop samples and mixes into the electronica gave the songs more depth and held the listeners' attention. The crowd had yet to accumulate so a small audience of music lovers eagerly listened as the duo displayed their skills. The band leaned a little heavy on the drums at certain points, but overall the music came across clean and fresh. Had there been enough people in the venue, there's no doubt these wicked, snappy tunes would have filled the dance floor with bodies. With any luck Goodness Gracious will grace Lawrence with another performance and get the crowd they deserved.
Second up was Slippy LaRue, an electronic jam group from Columbia that fuses the whomping bass with entrancing melodies together with powerful, strategically utilized drums. The band's soothing, melodic sounds put the audience in a trance from the first song to the last, while the energetic drums brought songs to crescendos, carried the tunes from one hypnotic melody to the next and worked in sync with the funky bass to build up dance beats. Again, the Jazzhaus was still at less than half capacity. The crowd - small though it was - still appreciated the band's smooth, jazzy stylings and were taken up by the energy they sent out. The set pulled some folks from their seats and definitely completely warmed up the crowd for the finale.
Electric Theory finished the night with an epic set that got the crowd out on the dance floor and filled the venue with energy. Trevor Stout threw down dynamic, intricate harmonies and melodies with spacey synth loops reminiscent of a spun-out arcade game backed up by aggressive, enticing bass lines that held the crowd at their mercy while Mark Hills' fast, clever drums shook them apart. Mark's brother Matt took up an electric guitar to add another dimension to this musical adventure into outer space. By this point in the night the Jazzhaus was finally alive and kicking, with a bigger crowd including thrilled dancers who twisted and shook, as if literally shocked by Electric Theory's electronic power. The momentum built up by the openers came to a climactic end with Electric Theory on stage.
Throughout the night a bright display of lights occasionally set the entire stage into a world of colors and shadows, which added greatly to the atmosphere of this electric night. It was unfortunate that these three brilliant bands couldn't play on a night when more folks would be out on the scene, but their tour continues to Columbia and St. Louis tonight and tomorrow, and they will no doubt blow the minds of many a fan in Missouri. Hopefully all three bands will return to Lawrence soon to give their fans some more of that Electric Slippy Goodness!
Now for Previews:
There is ALOT going on in the near future, so plan wisely. The fact is there are more great shows coming up than the average music lover can afford. There are plenty of bands playing all styles of music, so if you want to try something new, or just prefer a balance of sounds, this is the season to get it all.
Tonight:
Somasphere, Mouth and Hello Hustle will be at the Crosstown Station in Kansas City. This combination of funky electronic dance music should be a party-and-a-half. If you like to dance your buns off and get crunk, don't miss out! Doors open at 8 p.m. and it's $10.
Trampled by Turtles is at the Bottleneck playing quintessential folk, roots music for all the bluegrass lovers in Lawrence. If you have never seen this band before, this is your chance to hear intricate, inspired bluegrass that you will feel like you have known your whole life. The show will cost between $11-13 and doors open at 9 p.m.
At the same time as all this, the Victor Wooten Band and the Stanley Clark Band will be down the street at the Granada playing funky, soulful jams. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Tomorrow Keller Williams is playing at Liberty Hall for $20.50. Doors open at 9 p.m. This show will probably sell out and also be amazing!
Sunday: Flogging Molly will be at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City with Money Brother and Drowning Man. This show will be a whopping $29.50.
There is plenty more where that came from, but to find out where the next great show is you'll have to tune in next time. Hope to see you out there!
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