Lotus Fall Tour Supporting New Album

For those waiting for a concert experience with the dynamics of a rock band (read: no laptops), the dance inducing rhythms of club music, and the sophistication of modern electronica, an unlikely musical alternative has arrived in the form of the band Lotus. Formed at a Mennonite college that had banned on-campus dancing as late as the 1980’s, Lotus brings their club-worthy beats and rocking instrumental anthems to theaters throughout the country this fall. No glow-stick bracelets, pretentious Can trivia, or expensive distressed fashion required.

Lotus’s new release, Escaping Sargasso Sea (May 2007), is a double-disc live album that draws from two previous studio albums, Nomad and The Strength of Weak Ties, along with never before released material. From the post/math-rock of “When H Binds to O” to the slippery dance beats of “Wax,” this collection shows Lotus’s ability to deconstruct, stretch, and rebuild their compositions spontaneously on stage. Restraining from flaunting their individual chops, Lotus builds compositions on catchy melodies and heavy grooves.

The five-piece band has creatively fused electronic dance music with instrumental post-rock for eight years. The result is an explosive live show that has made crowds get down across the US, Canada, and Japan. Armed with a massive light rig and one of the most energetic shows on the circuit, Lotus proves why they have become a go-to act for late night festival slots. This tour takes the band into renowned theatres nationwide including the Ogden Theatre in Denver, the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, Park West in Chicago, and the Bowery Ballroom in New York.

Lotus’ complete list of confirmed Fall Tour dates is as follows:

09/28 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
09/29 Red Square Albany, NY
10/04 Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO
10/05 Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins, CO
10/06 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
10/08 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ
10/09 Winston's San Diego, CA
10/10 Knitting Factory West - Main Room Hollywood, CA
10/11 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
10/12 Moe's Alley Santa Cruz, CA
10/13 Crown Room Crystal Bay, NV
10/18 WOW Hall Eugene, OR
10/19 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, OR
10/20 Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA
10/23 Club Roxbury Omaha, NE
10/24 The Cabooze Minneapolis, MN
10/25 Majestic Theatre Madison, WI
10/26 Park West Chicago, IL
10/31 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
11/01 Pearl Street Northampton, MA
11/02 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
11/03 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
11/23–11/24 World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
12/31 Mr. Smalls Theatre Pittsburgh, PA

For more information please visit www.lotusvibes.com

Note: Did you know that PhreshWater interviewed Lotus in their earlier days in March 2003? For more insights into Lotus >>>>

Later this year, look for a Lotus remix project with LCD Soundsystem label-mate Juan Maclean.

Umphrey's McGee Rev's Up for Spring

On April 3, 2007 Umphrey’s McGee releases a double disc album – a spontaneous and intriguing follow-up to their highly touted spring 2006 studio release Safety In Numbers. Titled The Bottom Half, disc one features ten songs that did not make it onto Safety In Numbers, while disc two offers outtakes, alternative versions of songs, a cappella recordings, and other bits from the band’s 2005 studio sessions. As with Safety In Numbers, famed album artist Storm Thorgerson has designed the artwork for The Bottom Half.

Safety In Numbers attracted mountains of attention for Chicago’s rising stars during 2006. The highly anticipated album charted on Billboard’s Top 200 and on the coveted “Heatseekers” chart, and received a “4 Star” review in Blender magazine. Also in 2006, Umphrey’s McGee sold out shows in theaters coast to coast, appeared at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, and made their late night TV debut on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. In addition, Guitar Player Magazine recently featured the band’s guitarists – Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss – on their list of “Best Unsung Guitar Heroes.”

Umphrey’s McGee will tour this spring/summer in support of their new release. The list of stops includes a few very special apperances in their hometown of Chicago. The band will perform the National Anthem at U.S. Cellular Field for the Chicago White Sox home opener on April 2nd. This marks the third time Umphrey's McGee has sung the National Anthem at U.S. Cellular Field. Later in April, look for the band to headline the city’s inaugural Green Apple Festival. Umphrey’s performed this Earth Day festival last year in New York City, and is honored to now bring the earth-friendly event to their hometown. Umphrey’s will headline the festivities at the Lincoln Park Zoo on April 22nd, in addition to a very special intimate Vic Theatre performance on April 21st. A portion of the proceeds for the show, and 100% of the sales from an exclusive show poster, will be donated to a Chicago environmental organization to be determined.

The current list of confirmed tour dates is as follows:

April 03 Iowa Memorial Union Ballroom Iowa City IA
April 04 The Blue Note Columbia MO
April 05 The Pageant St. Louis MO
April 06-07 Egyptian Room - Murat Centre Indianapolis IN
April 11 Calvin Theatre Northampton MA With Brothers Past
April 12 Avalon Theatre Boston MA With Brothers Past
April 13 Nokia Theatre Times Square New York NY
April 14 9:30 Club Washington D.C. With Brothers Past
April 15 Water Street Music Hall Rochester NY
April 17 The Opera House Toronto Ontario
April 18 Penn's Peak Jim Thorpe PA
April 19 The Town Ballroom Buffalo NY
April 20 Newport Music Hall Columbia OH
April 21 The Vic Theatre - Green Apple Music and Arts Festival Chicago IL
April 22 Lincoln Park Zoo - Green Apple Music and Arts Festival Chicago IL
May 02-03 The Workplay SoundStage Birmingham AL
May 04 House Of Blues New Orleans LA
May 05 Granada Theatre Dallas TX
May 06 Beale Street Music Festival Memphis TN
May 25-27 Summer Camp 2007 Chillicothe IL
June 02 Mountain Jam Festival Hunter NY
July 18-21 10,000 Lakes Festival Detroit Lakes MN

More dates to be announced.

It has been a quick rise for Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee. Their virtuoso playing and edgy songcraft recently compelled RollingStone to choose Umphrey’s “a band to watch” in their annual Hot Issue. Relix magazine put them on the cover of their December 2004 issue and the prestigious Chicago Music Awards bestowed upon Umphrey’s McGee the coveted Best Rock Entertainer of the Year award. Booked coast to coast by the Monterey Peninsula Booking Agency, the band recently sold out three nights at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, two nights at Irving Plaza, San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, and the list goes on.

www.umphreys.com

10,000 Lakes Festival Confirms The Tragically Hip, Zappa Plays Zappa

Detroit Lakes, MN - March 29, 2007 – The fifth annual 10,000 Lakes Festival (10KLF) held July 18 – 21 at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minn. is quickly becoming the summer’s must attend live music and camping event. Adding artists to its growing lineup, 10KLF announces the confirmation of these groups:

The Tragically Hip
Zappa Plays Zappa
Particle
Blueground Undergrass
Outformation
The Lee Boys
Big Organ Trio
That 1 Guy

Continuing the high standards of musical excellence that festivarians expect, this year’s 10,000 Lakes Festival lineup already features Bob Weir & RatDog, Trey Anastasio, The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey's McGee, moe., Keller Williams, Gov't Mule, Little Feat, The Derek Trucks Band, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Everyone Orchestra, Trampled By Turtles, Pnuma Trio, God Johnson, GypsyFoot, Bump, Mr. Blotto, WookieFoot, The Burnin' Smyrnans, The Heavy Pets, and Moses Mayes.

Additional acts recently confirmed in this round include Kinetix, Stealin' Strings, Down Lo, White Iron Band, Hobo Nephews, The Smokin' Bandits, Unity, Madahoochi, and The Lighterside of Being.

Over the past four summers 10KLF has grown into the Midwest’s premier festival destination through its mix of subdued natural beauty and world class live music. As the most recent addition to the lineup, The Tragically Hip has grown into one of Canada’s most beloved bands over the past two decades by mixing traditional and roots rock, releasing eleven albums and offering intimate connections with its audience.

Zappa Plays Zappa is Dweezil Zappa’s live tribute to the prolific and ‘legendarily intricate’ music of his father, Frank Zappa, with the moniker ‘Accept No Substitutes.’ Performing at the 10,000 Lakes Festival as the group’s only American summer festival appearance, Dweezil Zappa is joined by a hand-picked crew of focused musicians as well as legendary Zappa band alum, Napoleon Murphy Brock, who all perform Frank’s timeless music meticulously.

“I would love to expose multiple younger generations to Frank’s music,” Dweezil says. “There will always be people looking for an alternative form of musical entertainment and I happen to feel that Frank’s music is certainly worth a listen. I really think that younger audiences would be fascinated by it because it’s so different than anything they’re exposed to currently.”

Taking a green approach to powering the festival through a partnership with CLIF Bar and NativeEnergy, the 10,000 Lakes Festival now allows patrons to offset the CO2 emissions of their automobile or airline travel up to the festival by purchasing ‘Cool Tags’ at the online ticket check out. Each Cool Tag invests $2 in NativeEnergy’s WindBuilders program, helping the Rosebud Sioux Tribe build a wind farm on their reservation in South Dakota. Wind farms deliver clean, renewable energy to the grid without releasing CO2 into the air, thereby displacing energy that comes from polluting facilities.

The 10KLF Cosmic Break Tour continues its continental search in March and April for talented independent and unsigned artists to perform at this year’s event. Through a series of regional showcases, five bands square off and the group with the most audience votes receives a festival gig. Bands outside of the Cosmic Break’s ten tour stops may register for a chance to earn a performance slot in the ‘Online Voting Booth’. Cosmic Break Tour and Online Voting Booth info is available at www.10KLF.com

Festival tickets, campground reservations and event details are available online at www.10KLF.com