Lotus, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the flower? Or is it the 5 piece psychedelic jamtronica band whose sounds are so beautiful they leave you wondering why you haven’t already quit your job to tour with them? Yea that’s the one. Lotus is epic, simple and plain. The band formed in 1999 and hasn’t looked back since. Philedelphia based, Lotus has been getting groovy way before the formation of Wookie Post. In fact they are one of the reasons we wanted to get into this profession…but that’s a story for another day.
Only a couple days after the great Jecca Bohns had her birthday, 3 out of 4 Wookie Post members made the journey to the wild and wonderful Morgantown, WV to crash for a night before the two-night Lotus run. Mr. Smalls Fun House would be the gracious host for the weekend. It was their 10th anniversary since shutting down the church and opening their doors to rock the funk out.
Lotus would begin playing around 9:30. The show was sold out. As we we’re still filing in, they kicked off the weekend with Nematode…classic.
The crowd was tremendous. Everyone I ran into was more than polite and it felt like we were all there for the same reason (which we were), to enjoy a weekend with Lotus.
Lotus at Mr. Smalls 6-7-13
After we got our beers, we found a nice, comfy spot in the middle of the dance floor and proceeded to get down the rest of the night. The highlight of the first set would have to be the “Shimmer and Out” jam into “Bubonic Tonic” back into “Shimmer and Out.”
Although the venue can hold a lot more crazy lotus heads than the eye could believe, Mr. Smalls is still intimate and relatively small. The lights were nuts. So intense and vibrant, and they danced all over the walls as if they were trying to steal the show. Which they would of had it not been for the larger-than-life, Mike Rempel, laying down breath taking melodies that send you on a timeless journey through an amazing world… our world… our lives.
The second set came and went, but not without a bang. “Neon Tubes” jam from the new Build album, along with “Wooly Mammoth” and “It’s All Clear to me Now” into “Tip of the Tongue” jam and ending with “Kodiak”. Not much else to say here but “wow” and “should have been there.” The show was over and the crowd was itching for “ONE MORE SONG!”
Boy did we get an encore, a 3 song encore! We knew this weekend was going to be insane but I don’t think the light/sound guys were even ready for a 3 song encore. They just wouldn’t stop playing. IT WAS AWESOME! Every jam kept building and building and building on top of the last melody and the last guitar riff and when the drums were about to break it down, no, keep it up, keep building the tune. “Bellwether” into “Umbilical Moonset” back into “Bellwether”…and the night is over. Thank you everyone who came out tonight and we hope to see you again tomorrow night for the special Nomad Album performance.
Lotus at Mr. Smalls 6-7-13
Back to the hotel for the wooks, lotus comes back on in 20 hrs…
6-7-13 – Mr. Small’s Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
I: Nematode, Bush Pilot, Shimmer and Out > Bubonic Tonic > Shimmer and Out, Nri, Expired Slang, Hammerstrike
II: We Are Now Connected, Neon Tubes > Sid > Neon Tubes, Wooly Mammoth, It’s All Clear to Me Now > Tip of the Tongue, Kodiak
E: Cain & Abel, Bellwether > Umbilical Moonset > Bellwether
Lotus – Mr. Smalls – Night 2
After an incredibly crazy first night of Lotus at Mr. Smalls, our group of four was sadly set to be a group of two on the second night. This was not due to prior engagements which required half of us to head home, but because two of us did not have tickets. While both nights did sell out, the Saturday night show sold out much sooner, for a very obvious reason, soon to be discussed. All of our efforts the night before to acquire any spare tickets were unsuccessful, and thus my friend and I were resigned to the fact that we would all catch a cab down to the venue, but we all might not make it in the venue.
Lotus at Mr. Smalls
After some very early morning debauchery in the hotel, it became aware to us that one of our female friends had had an opportunistic encounter with another girl in the ladies room. There was at least one ticket to be had, guaranteed. After hearing this wonderful news, and knowing that our search was now cut in half, we decided to get the day going, ordering pizzas and enjoying some beverages. We didn’t know however that the day would soon be won entirely. This darling angel, savior of the weekend, soon let us know that there were in fact TWO tickets. Huzzah! Victory was ours!
This was very exciting because, while every Lotus show is a blissfully good time, this one was going to be a little different. The band was going to play their album ‘Nomad’ in its entirety as part of an ongoing celebration of the 10th anniversary of Mr. Smalls Theatre. It would be only the third time the band had done this, and it would be pretty fitting since they actually wrote the album nine years ago in Pittsburgh. While our group knew some of what the night had in store there were still a number of questions being pondered throughout the day. How many sets would there be? Is it one really long, super jammed out set? They couldn’t break the album up into two sets, right? So would they play it first or second?
Lotus at Mr. Smalls
We would soon find out once and for all, but not before getting down to local Pittsburgh producer Keeb$. We had seen Keeb$ before (Polish Ambassador – 5-1-13) and were excited to see him open for one of our favorite bands in a bigger venue. There were only a handful of people in the building when he started playing, but that obviously didn’t matter to him, as he more than succeeded in his role as the opening act. I’ve tried to write down what his music is before, but I don’t think it honestly does it justice. As people began to fill the venue, it was apparent that everybody was getting down, and after someone from backstage whispered in his ear he informed us that he would be playing an extra half hour. He told everyone he’d need another beer, and after a few minutes he got one and said, “Shoutout to my parents for getting me another beer!”
Keeb$ at Mr. Smalls Theatre
After Keeb$ got the crowd warmed up, everyone was itching for Lotus to come out. When they did, they were not messing around. They came right out and within minutes were jamming extra hard with “Break Build Burn” and “Middle Road”, both songs off their newest album, ‘Build’, released earlier this year, that features electronic uptempo tunes. They slowed things down a bit with “The Oaks” before kicking it back up with “Debris”, followed by “Ashcon” and “Intro to a Cell”, a favorite classic. However, the greatest moment of the first set would have to be the epic cover of Breakbot’s “Baby I’m Yours”. The song is already so funky, a band like Lotus covering it is incredible! It was truly a wonderful way to close out the first set in preparation for what would be an unforgettable second set.
The album ‘Nomad’ is, for myself and I’m sure most other fans of the band, the quintessential tune that everyone thinks of when they hear the name Lotus. It’s that ultra funky, soulful, groovy sound that I first heard years ago and was instantly drawn to. As mentioned earlier, it was written nine years ago, so this is classic Lotus. Every fan has heard these songs live, but hearing them ALL, live, in order, was truly a fantastic experience.
Lotus at Mr. Smalls
Starting with ‘Suitcases’, the guys were obviously excited to do this set, as they weren’t just playing them as you know, they were jamming the hell out of each song. They pretty much flowed the first five songs of the album into the next without stopping. I feel I’d almost be insulting the reader if I listed all the songs, as I’m sure you know them. One thing I liked especially though was the sequence of Spiritualize > Plant Your Root > Spiritualize, as Spiritualize is one of my favorites. If I had to put the entire set into one word I would say “rousing”. I had the time of my life, never having anything less than a Cheshire cat size grin on my face, dancing like a maniac. The last song on the album, “Colorado”, has a very personal meaning to me, and it was the only time I’ve had the opportunity to hear it live. It is such a beautiful song that I know everyone in attendance was full of emotion, thinking of those who truly mean the most to them, and I am certainly no different. After tapping into our hearts with the beauty of that song, the encore was once again, just like the previous night, both multiple songs and incredible. They came back out with “Cloud Nine”, a tune that demands a certain kind of funky groove. After that was one of my (and apparently my cohort’s) all time favorite Lotus songs, “Behind Midwest Storefront”, off the ‘Hammerstrike’ album. It is another beautiful, moving song, with guitar riffs that tug at your core.
Lotus at Mr. Smalls
It seemed like the night went by so fast. We were all having so much fun, the spirits flowing, enjoying the presence of those around us, that it seemed to last both an instant and a lifetime. It seems to happen every time I see Lotus play. Having not been to one of their shows since the one roughly eight months ago in Philadelphia at FDR Park, the two night run in Pittsburgh at Mr. Smalls was certainly well-needed. Luckily, I (or any of you!) won’t have to wait nearly that long to see them again. They will be playing at Electric Forest on June 27 and then at Camp Bisco July 11-13, as well as a number of festivals across the country (and Japan!) throughout the summer, so don’t wait to grab tickets!
MP
6-8-13 – Mr. Small’s Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
I: Break Build Burn, Middle Road, The Oaks, Debris, Ashcon, Intro to a Cell, Baby I’m Yours*
II: Suitcases, Livingston Storm > Spiritualize > Plant Your Root > Spiritualize, Travel > Greet the Mind, Ball of Energy, Jump Off, Colorado
E: Cloud Nine, Behind Midwest Storefronts
*Baby I’m Yours: First time played, Breakbot
**Suitcases -> Colorado is the third full performance of the album Nomad
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