Jam Central Station 7.24.10: Bassnectar
Posted by Jeff Modzelewski on 07.24.2010
Over the past 10 years, Bassnectar has used constant touring and amazing festival performances to become a staple on the DJ scene.
Welcome back to this week's Jam Central Station. I'm always looking at different artists to profile here, and I'm definitely doing something different this week. I haven't spent a lot of time focused on the DJ scene, and I think it's about time that we do that. There's plenty of great DJ's in the electronic scene, and jam bands and festival fans have embraced some of those DJ's whole-heartedly. One of those festival mainstays is the amazing Bassnectar.
All-day music festivals provide plenty of different opportunities for people of different tastes. There's the relaxing mid-day folks sets while laying on the grass. The afternoon indie bands. The hooping girls (and occasionally guys). And, of course, big-name headliners that sell the tickets for the more casual fans. However, any regular festival go-er will tell you that the real party doesn't start until after the headliners have stepped off stage. Late-night acts can make a decent festival great and a good festival legendary.
Some artists split time between daytime sets and late night sets. Yonder Mountain String Band is just as comfortable under the midday sun as they are playing until sunrise. Umphrey's McGee is a great late-night band, but their daytime sets at Bonnaroo and Nateva were major assets there. Even Toubab Krewe occassionly makes a late-night appearance. However, some artists specialize in late-night sets. Primarily this is the area of DJ's, hip-hop acts, and electronic artists. One artist who can get the crowd moving and the party going like few is San Francisco-based Bassnectar.
Bassnectar spawned from the mind of Lorin Ashton in the diverse San Francisco music scene. For the past decade, he has toured relentlessly as a DJ and electronic artist while also collaborating with and providing remixes for artists from a wide range of genres. His live shows have grown by leaps and bounds, and now provide not only an unbeatable listening experience but a visual show that is near the top of the current electronic circuit. All of this adds to the unique experience that is Bassnectar.
Ashton got his start in the mid 90's as an early CD-using DJ. He quickly began editing and remixing the music that he would work with, often subtly but sometimes making major changes to songs. He had a knack for changing tempos and genres easily and without sounding forced. The success that he had and fans that he gained through DJing and being a part of the rave scene led him to begin creating his own electronic music that he began weaving into his live performances. He released his first album in 2001, beginning an active schedule of recording and touring.
Over the past decade, Bassnectar has released nine studio albums, a video, numerous singles and dozens of remixes of other artist's work. He has also begun a releasing a series of podcasts to spread his music to fans. Some of these podcasts consist of releasing bootlegs, consisting of new mixes and old unfinished songs. Others are mix-ups, mash-ups, and different themed performances. Overall, he's released dozens of different free performances for his fan, and he has used social networking and media as a primary way of getting his music to his fans.
I could talk at length about his studio work and remixes, but the real defining moments of Bassnectar's music are the live performances. At a Bassnectar show, you might here everything from metal to gangsta rap to political speeches to ska and polka music, all re-worked and mixed by Bassnectar. The performances are a combination of Bassnectar's original music, remixes, mash-ups, and sampled material. He adds loops and mixes his music on the fly, and has said before that he "ricochet(s) like made off of every single being in the place." He adjusts the sets for the city he is in and the reaction of his crowds. This makes each performance completely unique and extremely improvisational.
While most DJ performances consist of hours of uninterrupted music, Bassnectar often takes breaks in this music to add his own social commentary on issues. He's outspoken both about what he loves about this country and society and about the evils that he sees and speaks out against. While many artists in other genres of jam-band music have embraced political issues, Bassnectar is in the minority of DJ's that actively speak about political issues at his shows. Whether it's adding a commentary by George Carlin or remixing a Spearhead song, Bassnectar is unafraid to voice his opinions.
It's pretty amazing what one man and one Mac can do together. Using a program called Ableton LIVE, Bassnectar can edit and adjust his live performances on the fly. He's also consistently updating his roster of electronic toys and tools to create his original music as well as his remixes and mash-ups. These different tools allow him to do things in concert that used to be able to be done only after intensive studio work. With the technology constantly improving, the limits of what can be done with live DJ and electronic music are continuously expanding, and Bassnectar is on the forefront of that expansion.
As I stated earlier, Bassnectar's live performances aren't only about the music. His shows are truly at the edge of chaos, a mix of dance club and rave and festival all wrapped into one. He's just as performing at comfortable at Bonnaroo as he is at DEMF, and the crowds flock to him either way. He has a band of sound and light technicians that travel with him, adding to the live experience. For larger festivals and performances he's known to go even more over-the-top with his live show, with additional lights, lasers, and crowd-pleasing performances.
Electronic artists and especially DJ's simply are not easily defined, and Bassnectar is no exception. His purpose isn't necessarily to create original music for his own artistic expression. He wants to take the audience on a journey and to move his crowd, leaving the listener changed from the experience. He truly wants to give back to the crowd and society, and he's willing to use any musical means necessary to make that happen. He's a true original, and an artist that is a force to be reckoned with either at a festival or a headlining show.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers postpone show
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers had to postpone their recent show at Blossom Music Center outside of Cleveland after guitarist Mike Campbell fainted onstage during the band's performance in St. Louis. Apparently the incident was simply due to heat and humidity, but his doctors have advised him to take it easy for a few days. The band has scheduled a "make up" date of August 31 for Blossom, and they expect to continue the tour hopefully without incident.
Michael Franti & Spearhead to tour behind Sound of Sunshine
Michael Franti & Spearhead will release their new album Sound of Sunshine in September, but the title track is already making major waves on the radio. The band will support the album with an extensive tour. They recently added two months worth of dates that will take them at least through November. I'm thinking that this may be the last opportunity to see Franti in a smaller venue, so you may want to get on these tickets.
September 19 Laytonville, CA—Earth Dance Festival
September 22 Los Angeles, CA—Club Nokia
September 23 San Diego, CA—House of Blues
September 24 Tucson, AZ—Rialto Theatre
September 25 Tempe, AZ—The Marquee
September 26 Flagstaff, AZ—Orpheum Theater
September 28 Oklahoma City, OK—Bricktown Events Center
September 29 Austin, TX—Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheatre
September 30 Dallas, TX—House of Blues
October 1 Little Rock, AR—Stone Hill Ranch
October 2 Houston, TX—House of Blues
October 5 St. Louis, MO—The Pageant
October 6 Lincoln, NE—Rococo
October 7 Minneapolis, MN—State Theatre
October 8 Chicago, IL—Riviera Theatre
October 9 Madison, WI—Overture Center for the Arts
October 13 Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium
October 14 Birmingham, AL—WorkPlay Theatre
October 15 New Orleans, LA—House of Blues
October 16 Pensacola Beach, FL—De Luna Fest
October 19 Columbus, OH—Newport Music Hall
October 20 Bloomington, IN—Bluebird Nightclub
October 22 Covington, KY (Cincinnati—Madison Theatre
October 23 Pittsburgh, PA—Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
October 24 Buffalo, NY—The Town Ballroom
October 25 Albany, NY—Northern Lights
October 28 New York, NY—Terminal 5
October 29 Montclair, NJ—Wellmont Theatre
October 30 Philadelphia, PA—Electric Factory
November 1-2 Northampton, MA—Calvin Theatre
November 3 Ithaca, NY—State Theatre
November 5 Providence, RI—Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
November 6 Portland, ME—State Theatre
November 7 Concord, NH—Capitol Center
November 9 New Haven, CT—Toad's Place
November 10 Montreal, QC—Metropolis
November 12 Toronto, ON—Kool Haus
November 13 Cleveland, OH—House of Blues
November 14 Detroit, MI—Royal Oak
Allman Brothers planning tour
The Allman Brothers are looking into a tour starting in November, according to drummer Butch Trucks. While nothing is set, and everything is dependent on Gregg Allman's recovery from a liver transplant, the band is apparently reviewing a potential tour itinerary. Hopefully this means that Gregg is doing well and that we can expect more from the Allman's soon.
STS9 adds big names
STS9 continue to break into the mainstream with their current tour. They've added special guests Big Boi from Outkast as well as Mos Def to join the bill at their show in Alpharetta, GA. That show will also feature performances by The Disco Biscuits and Big Gigantic. Mos Def will also be featured at their Chicago show on August 21. As you may remember, STS9 also opened up a show for Jay-Z earlier this year.
Umphrey's McGee announces Halloween plans
Last week Last Tortugas got the Halloween season started with a release of their initial lineup. This week Umphrey's McGee announced where they'll spend Halloween. They'll be doing a pair of Halloween mash-up themed show at The Pageant in St. Louis on October 30 and 31. Very interested to see what they come up with this year for their mash-ups.
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals add dates
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals have added a set of dates in September in support of their recent self-titled album. The band will be bringing along Sharon Jones & Dap-Kings for some of the dates and The Avett Brothers for others. It'll be very interesting to see whether or not GPN gets the mainstream success that they're shooting for with this album.
September 18 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
September 20 Columbia, MO Blue Note with Sharon Jones & Dap-Kings
September 23 Dallas,TX The Showroom at Palladium with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
September 24 St. Louis, MO The Pageant with Avett Brothers
September 26 Oklahoma City, OK Bricktown Events Center with Avett Brothers
September 27 Santa Fe, NM Lensic Performing Arts Center with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
September 28 Denver, CO The Ogden Theatre with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Hope you all enjoyed the column this week. I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about some of the DJ's as other people I know, but I didn't want to keep avoiding that topic. Anyways, I'll be back with another profile next week. Until then, Jam On!
