For students looking to get down and have a good time, the timing couldn’t be better.
The electronica dance symphonisers, Lotus, will perform Thursday at the Majestic Theater. Concert revellers should look for cool colors and listen for groovy beats because putting on a sick live show is what these guys are all about.
On Friday, Oct. 19, The Badger Herald spoke with bassist and sampler Jesse Miller in a phone interview (note: not the Jesse Miller of UW hospital parking ramp fame) about the band’s sound, influences and what their live act is all about.
Miller is backed up by Steve Clemens on drums, Luke Miller on guitar and keys, Chuck Morris on acoustic and electronic percussion and Mike Rempel on guitar. These Philadelphia natives put on a bumpin’ show that makes audiences feel like getting up to get down.
“Madison always has a solid crew out [for our show],” said Miller, when asked of how Lotus enjoyed playing at the capital.
Lotus began playing together in college and, since then, has performed in Madison several times. They’ve played at Der Rathskeller, High Noon Saloon and Mendota Terrace, so the Majestic should be a great venue for the band and their massive light rig.
“Lotus shows are definitely dance parties,” Miller said of the vibe of the band’s notorious live shows.
The troupe’s latest album, Escaping Sargasso Sea, is an eclectic mix of songs taken from several live recordings. Covering shows spanning the last five years, the album’s style is definitely varied. It does, however, provide a good home listening experience in its laidback, low-key vibe. Still, it lacks the charged atmosphere of a live performance.
“The show evolves all the time. We do quite a bit of improv,” Miller said when asked about the difference between a recording and seeing them in person.
Though Lotus’ sound can range from the super-chill to the mad-groovy, it can also be difficult to file them away into a single genre. Even though their long, meandering songs and improvised sets may denote otherwise, Lotus prefers not to be labeled as a simple jam band.
“People think Phish, and we don’t sound anything like that,” Miller said.
Anyone attending the show should expect to hear a wide range of instruments. Lotus utilizes an electronic drum kit and foot pedals to trigger samples and effects in tandem with a keyboardist to produce their dance-rock hybrid sound. They also have several acoustic percussion instruments when a standard kit doesn’t quite do the job. This unconventional combination makes for interesting songwriting and opens up avenues to allow the sound throughout a set, or even a song, to be bent, blended, mashed and tweaked into something completely different while maintaining a solid, danceable beat.
If you’re not like others going just to see a concert that promotes itself as memorable, then go simply to meet some strangers, and shake your booty.
