Short, Sweet and to the point
The Big Wu and Strangefolk will play at the Copper Dragon on Wednesday at 10 P.M. Tickets are $12 in advance or $14 at the door, and they can be purchased at Pinch Penny Pub.
You could call them the Cliff's Notes version of a jam band.
God knows, the post-Phish market could use something of the sort. After all, look at what this peculiar genre has evolved into - a celebration of 42-minute songs that, regardless of time and place, just keep on going.
And going.
And going.
There's no accounting for taste, of course. But you have to give some credit to the Big Wu and Strangefolk, two bands from almost opposite ends of the country who have managed to turn the jamming tradition into something a little more digestible to the layman listener.
Accessibility may be another of their revolutions; the bands' double billing Wednesday night at the Copper Dragon comes as part of a month-long U.S. tour - called the Far and Wide Tour - that promises to deliver four hours of music at each stop for no more than $18.50 a ticket. Not a bad deal.
But who exactly are these guys, and how are they bringing jamming down to a single-serving level? One need look no further than Strangefolk's 2001 album "Open Road," or the Big Wu's live album from the same year - two discs that illustrate high levels of musical proficiency, but also a certain sense of restraint. There's some drawn-out tunes, to be sure, some long jams that demonstrate both sharp songwriting and strong improvisational skills, but never does the music border on excess.
These are tight songs. And that's just what the musicians were hoping for.
"These two bands sound great together," said Big Wu bassist Andy Miller. "I really feel that Big Wu plus Strangefolk equals three. There's no reason for people not to go."
Strangefolk began its journey toward national acclaim as an acoustic duo in 1991 in the state of Vermont, steadily building a reputation for flowing grassroots songs and eventually adding bass and drums during the same year. Eventually releasing four well- received albums, the band diligently built its fan base by performing as many as 200 gigs a year.
In fall 2000 the band upped its act even further by replacing a member with singer/guitarist Luke Patchen Montgomery and adding keyboardist Don Scott into the fray. The group's five current members - Montgomery, Scott, guitarist Jon Trafton, bassist Erik Glockler and drummer Luke Smith - received the pleasure of being named one of the top 10 jam bands of all time by Entertainment Weekly that same fall.
Right below Strangefolk on that list sits the Big Wu, who has been touted in the media of its home state as "the first Minnesota group that really could be the next Phish." Made up of Chris Castino on vocals and guitar, guitarist Jason Fladager, Miller, keyboardist Al Oikari and percussionist Terry VanDeWalker, the Big Wu describes itself on its website as "a rock 'n roll band bit by a loon." Releasing its first album in 1997, the band has since followed up with a live album and its most recent, "Folktales," released last year.
When the two bands are together, members say it makes for an unforgettable night of jamming. But they never allow the music to step down into an endless series of guitar solos and drum breaks, instead choosing to entertain their listeners with well crafted songs that stray at all the right points. It's a rare art in this day and age, and one that has arguably given both bands their national followings.
Reporter Geoffrey Ritter can be reached at gritter@dailyegyptian.com
This is a Manila site.
Information in the Daily Egyptian is copyrighted and all rights are reserved. This document may be distributed electronically for personal use only, provided it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. We encourage you to create links to our pages and ask that you do not duplicate our pages on your own site. Nothing from the Daily Egyptian can be reprinted without the express written permission of the Daily Egyptian.