ArtsEtc.

Lotus ‘blossoms’ in live shows

Electronic group popularizes ‘dance rock,’ will perform at Majestic Theater tonight

Ironically forming at a college that once banned on-campus dance music, the musical composition of the electronic rock band Lotus warrants uncontrollable grooving, while their concerts mesmerize fans with strobe and laser lights that glow off the dance floor.

Established in 1999 at Indiana’s Goshen College, Jesse Miller (bass), Luke Miller (guitar/keyboards), Mike Rempel (guitar), Chuck Morris (percussion) and Steve Clemens (drums) have developed a live concert to which others cannot compare unless it is strictly a DJ dance event. And the best part is Lotus has done this without using laptops during their live concerts.

In an interview with The Badger Herald, Miller embellished the bands’ innovative sound, which he calls dance rock, and how that sound has migrated into the jam-band world.

“It’s really hard to play the genre game with Lotus,” Miller said. “We don’t easily fit into any sort of genre, and it’s always hard to describe to people. … But I’m hesitant to say we are a jam band because the bands that get lumped into that are like Umphrey’s McGee and Yonder Mountain String Band, which is no relation to what we are doing.”

Miller emphasized how diverse styles of music have heavily influenced and helped the band create authentic electronic-rock musical arrangements.

“Anytime I go back and listen to a recording [of Lotus] that is three or four years old, I realize that it’s a completely different band,” he said. “Really early on in the band’s career we had more of a funk element, and when we started to delve into electronic influences, the very first things that we were touching on were much more atmospheric drum and bass, and ambient house stuff along the lines of LTJ Bukem and The Orb. But in the last few years, [our sound] has definitely taken more of a rock edge with a dancing side, like the band Talking Heads.”

While Lotus uses traditional instruments to execute fast-paced beats during their concerts, Miller shared his thoughts of other bands bringing laptops on stage to create the same effect.

“I get wary when there are bands that are doing things with laptops that seems like they should be able to perform live,” he said. “It has been our choice to kind of stay away from that for the performance aspect, but we use computers all the time for production and recording. I think [laptops are] something that should be evaluated in terms of performance. For some people, it definitely adds, but I’ve also seen it take away as well.”

Now, after a decade of experience and seven albums, Lotus is scheduled to perform a smorgasbord of 2009 summer festivals, including playing the Disco Biscuits’ “Bisco Inferno” at the Red Rocks Amphitheater for the first time. But as far as Lotus is concerned, Miller said the band is focused on perfecting the ultimate dance party for their fans.

“People don’t dance at other events like they do at Lotus concerts. It’s just an energized thing that lets people have a good time.”

Lotus will be playing at the Majestic Theater on April 3. Tickets are $15. For more information, please visit www.majesticmadison.com.