By Matthew Woskey
The year 2012 sure has a lot in store for us. Whether it’s an apocalypse or a global conscious awakening, the Mayans probably had no idea that music would be so fucking incredible by the completion of the 26,000-year “Precession of the Equinoxes.” I don’t care if an asteroid hits Earth in December as long as I get to see my all-time favorite band perform at my all-time least favorite venue in Chicago one last time before I’m crushed by a rock the size of China.
Coming February 17, this Philly-based dynamic band will be playing the Congress Theater where, hopefully, all my hopes and dreams for this experience don’t shatter at the hands of the douche-bags that run this venue. I can’t really recall a purely positive memory from this location without it being intercepted by a six-feet five-inch thug wearing a fake police badge. These people don’t care about your safety and enjoyment. They just want whatever is in your pockets so they can sell it at a pawnshop later.
The contrast of good, sorry, great music versus a scumbag operated venue gave me the idea that this band deserves to be put up on the pedestal for a preview, so that fans will still find it in their hearts to bite the bullet this one night and buy a ticket to attend the one music theater that you’ll never feel welcome at. This is a tribute to a band that deserves more than they’ve been handed, considering the amount of time that they have been around. Raise your glasses because this is a toast to Lotus.
I’ve only hopped onto the jam circuit bandwagon a mere five years ago, which some of the dinosaurs would still consider ‘noob’ status. However, in these last five amazing years, I’ve had the opportunity to explore a great number of very underground, as well as ‘bright in the spotlight’ artists ranging from fully electronic to purely instrumental. This particular band, ironically, is named after a flower that symbolizes purity, spontaneous generation and divine birth, which are words anyone could probably use to describe the essence of their being. Like a lotus flower, this band had to mature from the murky waters before it could become the radiant ball of energy and beauty it is now.
Lotus is an instrumental electronic jam rock band originally consisting of five members: Luke Miller on guitar and keyboards, Jesse Miller on bass guitar, Mike Rempel on guitar, Chuck Morris on percussion, and Steve Clemens on drums. However, in more recent years, Clemens was replaced by Mike Greenfield, who is a phenomenal drummer and in my opinion, a better one than Clemens. Don’t take these words as insult, I’m just an honest person and it’s hard to argue that I’m wrong. Chuck Morris also took a substantial sabbatical in August 2010 to start a family with his wife and perform some fatherhood roles in Denver, which reduced the quintet to a bittersweet foursome.
In 2001, the band recorded several of their live performances and released a live album in 2002 called Vibes (now out of print) that soon after got them signed to Harmonized Records; a label that has featured artists such as Future Rock, Hot Buttered Rum, Perpetual Groove, and Pnuma Trio.
Lotus’ first album released under Harmonized Records in 2003 was Germination. Germination is a live album that, upon its release, was really underappreciated. To this day, eight years after its release, it is one of my favorite live albums. Period. It starts with one of Lotus’ purest, feel good tracks called “Umbilical Moonrise,” which has become an uncommon piece of delicious ear candy to hear at any of their concerts on their national tours. It’s the kind of track that makes you want to hug your neighbor that you’ve never met standing next to you at the awe inspiring experience that is a live Lotus show. I’m really glad that they hardly play it because when they do, it’s that much more special and heartwarming.
The fourth track on the album, “Nematode,” has that same spirit lifting vibe. I would bet anyone five dollars that they couldn’t keep a straight face during this track at a live show. It’s pretty near impossible to fight a smile during the entire 13 minutes of this track. The whole album gives off that same energy and emotion that I crave in almost all of my music.
Just a year later, Lotus released their first studio-recorded album, Nomad, which is probably ranked my second favorite Lotus album. Their sound evolved from their roots as an instrumental “jam band” and added a splash of funk, jazz and EDM, while still maintaining some of that rustic feel. This is the album that Lotus slowly began experimenting with generated samples and sounds that add that unique texture to their music unmatched by any other band. A lot, if not most, of my favorite Lotus tracks are on this album, including “Suitcases,” “Livingston Storm,” “Spiritualize,” “Greet The Mind,” “Jump Off,” and the incredibly special “Colorado,” containing a landscape of slow tempo beauty that reminds me of the beginning of a Sigur Rós track.
In 2006, Lotus released their last studio album under the Harmonized Records label. The Strength of Weak Ties was their most electronic influenced album up until that point. The first four tracks of this album really capture the fundamentals and substance of what Lotus is today. Shortly after this album, the band caught the attention of SCI Fidelity Records, which happens to be owned and managed by the infamous jam band, The String Cheese Incident. Lotus now affiliates with other SCI Fidelity artists like Keller Williams, Umphrey’s McGee, The Disco Biscuits, Railroad Earth, EOTO, The New Deal, The Greyboy Allstars, 30db, Tea Leaf Green, and the list goes on and on.
Signing with SCI Fidelity was probably the best thing that could have happened to Lotus. In 2007 Lotus released a live album called Escaping Sargasso Sea, which was nominated for a Jammy award by Guitar Player magazine for “Best Live Album of 2007,” which is coincidental because it is my favorite Lotus album. Escaping Sargasso Sea was described by Relix magazine as “sexy and sophisticated dance music, mature enough to be played in the club or the living room.” If you haven’t already downloaded, incessantly listened to and worshipped this album, you are way behind the times. I think it was because of this album that Lotus is who they are today: Legends.
In 2008, probably the best year of my life for new music, Lotus released Hammerstrike, an album that they really branched out on, pulling away from their quieter jams toward an explosion of tracks ranging from dance floor ready rockers to soaring post-rock instrumentals. It’s like they were playing Texas Holdem with their music and saying, “I’m all in.” They took a huge risk but totally came out on top, proving to us once again that they could experiment adrift from their comfort zone while sticking to their true Lotus roots. Their Hammerstrike tour sent this band from zero to sixty, fast. This was about the time that I became entangled in this journey of love that I developed for Lotus.
I caught my very first Lotus show during the day at Summer Camp Music Festival in 2008. I had never heard of them and I honestly don’t remember what series of events brought me to that stage for that magical hour and a half set. They played “Flower Sermon,” “Hammerstrike,” “Tip of the Tongue,” “Greet the Mind,” “Bellwether,” “Sunrain,” and “The Jump Off” in that order. To this day, it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen in my life, probably because of how unexpected the boner I had for this band was. It was actually really inconvenient for me because, at the time, I was really broke and still found ways to spend all my money on their live concerts. This was a bond I knew was never going to break. I couldn’t get enough.
Before long, Lotus returned to my hometown of Chicago, selling out the Park West in October of 2008. I had this urge to follow them all over the country after this show because of how easily they toyed with my mind and body during their performance, yet again. I had to wait until April of 2009 to see them again playing a near sold out show at The Vic. They were more on-point instrumentally than they had been at the previous shows I saw. If you’re a Lotus fan in Chicago, you have to know what I am talking about. That “Wooly Mammoth” from that show made me cry and I still get goose bumps every time I listen to the recording of it.
Time and time again I caught whatever show I could during their Midwest runs, their most special being the two-night run at Schuba’s Tavern. For a place that only holds 175 people, I wondered why a band of their magnitude would pick such a place to hold back-to-back performances. Not that I was complaining, since this would be the most intimate Lotus experience I’d ever get, but the band decided that since they had so much support from us Chicagoans the last few times they were in town, we deserved a treat. I bet fans all over the country were drooling at this rare opportunity and probably still have a sore spot from missing it. That’s just the kind of band they are. They consistently satisfy again and again leaving you begging for more. All it takes is one night and your hooked. Lotus may very well be the toughest addiction I have.
Looking back on my past memories I had with this band is kind of like the fast-paced montage of happy fun-filled images in the movie “Blow” when Johnny Depp starts making a ton of money selling cocaine with “Blinded by the Light” playing on the soundtrack. Except my memories didn’t involve shaking hands with drug lords and kingpins surrounded by millions of dollars. My personal memories contain friendly smiles, newly invented dance moves, and some of the best musical experiences I’ve ever shared with my friends. Now it’s almost 2012 and my favorite band of all time will be returning to my favorite city where I will see them for what I think will be my 13 or 14th show.
I am admittedly excited to announce that percussionist, Chuck Morris, is back on the road with the band as of this fall and the band will once again be back to a state that I am comfortable with. Morris’ fifteen-month hiatus left the band doing some damage control and creatively MacGyvering his sounds to keep producing the ‘Lotus vibe.’ In retrospect, it was actually kind of weird. It reminded me of the HBO sitcom, Flight of the Conchords, in an episode where Jermaine used a tape player to sample Bret’s music when Bret left the band. In the end Jermaine and Murray, the band’s manager, created a diagram for pros and cons of Bret versus the tape and in the end agreed that they missed him a lot.
I believe Lotus’ diehard fans felt the same about Morris when he left. It was never really clear whether or not he would return either, turning my last few Lotus experiences into guilt trips. I kept telling myself, “It’s not the same without him.” I even began questioning my devout loyalty to the band and wondered how much longer I would continue following them on this journey through uncharted territory. But he’s back and I am here to stay for the long haul.
Friends and loyal followers: please do not miss this show. Put away your pride, take a deep breath, and dive into the Congress Theater headfirst. As much as we all hate being there, this is a concert none of us should miss. Put on your dancing shoes and double-knot those laces because it’s going to be one hell of a dance party. Cheers to Lotus, to 2012, and very well-deserved welcome back Chuck! I think we are about to witness something really special in our music-filled lives. I hope to see you all there.
