Since their inception in Colorado in 1993, String Cheese Incident has brought together a wide variety of musical influences to create their own, unique sound on the jam band scene. The core band members that put this unique blend of jam rock, Americana/country/bluegrass music, and also, some elements of dub step or dance music, and reggae, include guitarist/vocalist Bill Nershi, Michael Kang on vocals and the unique five string octave electric mandolin, and keyboardist/Hammond B3 wild man, Kyle Hollingsworth.
Their show, Wednesday night at the newly renovated Palace Theater in St. Paul, brought together all these elements, with a big dose of strobe light extravagance as well. Flashing, dizzying colors, as far as the eye could see, and maybe a bit too intense for some tastes, or eyes, for that matter. But, the music was what counted and SCI as they are known, delivered in spades, with a good number of jam worthy songs, whether they leaned towards traditional bluegrass or country picking, or all out, no holds barred, in your face electric jams with healthy doses of B3, Rhodes piano, and Clavinet thrown in.
The jams were fantastic, and the band was on fire, moving rapidly from
song to song, all night. The enthusiastic fans ate up the music and
seemed to really enjoy themselves.
A lot of the songs were new to yours truly, even though he has been following the jam band scene for so many years. The country rock boogie woogie of the opening "So Far From Home", set the tone for the rest of the show. Many of the songs, were merged into medleys or long, extended jams. The rhythm & blues flavored "Falling Through The Cracks", began this flowing river of music, cascading and bending through the trippy, psychedelic light show. The medleys early on in the show drew on musical tapestries of genres such as reggae, folk, or country, jazz, and rock solid jamming. Fiddle and electric mandolin from Michael Kang abounded as did the melodic ringing chords of Bill Nershi's acoustic guitar.
Jazz was also highlighted, with a cover of jazz violin maestro
Jean Luc Ponty's "Mouna Bowa" that he co-wrote with bassist Guy
N'Sangue for Ponty's 1991 record "Tchokola". "Stay Through" echoes the popular reggae of Bob Marley & The Wailers. For the next 16 minutes, SCI takes us through the hypnotic groove of their composition "Joyful Sound". Grateful Dead, meets shades of Indian classical, and a slow burning groove. Bill Nershi and Michael Kang, are joined in on this one by the chiming bell tones of Kyle Hollingsworth's Rhodes piano at the beginning, and we set off on a bit of a lilt, slowly winding it's way on a twisting road. Kyle Hollingsworth then proceeds to hit the synths. This song, reminds yours truly, of another favorite jam band he has seen in concert... Phish.
Synthesizer and drums take the tune to a dramatic climax, joined in by Kang's powerful electric mandolin, and more psychedelia ensues as we slide this song into home plate, for a home run. You want more jamming? We've got more jamming. Another medley is on deck. More roots and country influence is heard in "One Step Closer", as SCI digs the bluegrass tradition, with a singer/songwriter love ballad twist. Hey, everyone! "Let's Go Outside"! The weather, is lovely. This is actually a segue, into the next tune. An instrumental jam, with Michael Kang's electric mandolin, and Kyle Hollingsworth tearing up the Clavinet with percussive wah wah and unleashing the Hammond.
The best, a great jam, has to offer.
When we go outside, we take a musical walk, run, and leap, into blue skies and sunshine, before changing the theme, to funkafize. Clavinet and drums, bring the groove, and the electrified strings join in on the party. So does the synthesizer, here and there. Shing-a-ling, y'all, and dance like crazy! "Let's Go Outside". Need I say more? Intermission time. Get reloaded for set two.
We come next, to the second set. Are you ready for more? Oh yeah!
Set two begins with "Piece of Mine". More fireworks from Kyle Hollingsworth, and Michael Kang. The chorus has an infectious repeat. "Say yes. Say no. Make up your own mind. Hold on, let go. Gotta get a piece of mine." Next up, is the title track to SCI's new record, called "Believe". FYI, it drops, next week. We dig deeper into the second set for more musical gold, finding next, another ballad called "Windy Mountain", sung by Bill Nershi. "I live up on windy mountain, in my cabin home. I live upon windy mountain, but I can't stay there long."
When you are on that mountain, your music may morph into another unexpected jam. After "Windy Mountain", we hear the ethereal strains of "Can't Stop Now", and this tune is surely a reminder for everyone, once the music gets started, well, it'll keep going, deeper into listeners' souls. The song grows another limb, and goes from ethereal, to grooving. This is the hallmark of a jam band, and SCI proves it as Kyle Hollingsworth switches the groove, to the piano. Then comes, another theme, and another bluegrass breakdown groove! Yeehaw! Should've donned my cowboy hat!
Now, we board a time machine of sorts for a song SCI hasn't played in a good while. More funky grooves, and surely some 7 and 9 chords in "Seventh Step". The groove is reminiscent of New Orleans and The Meters. SCI then gives the song their own touch, and starts working in keys that could be suitable for horns, as the jam goes on. There are a few lyrics for a chorus in the tune.
Familiarity strikes deep within the crystalline hue of the liquid lights during second set, when the band broke out their instantly recognizable 2001 jam, "Outside & Inside". This was THE song of the evening for sure. "Outside & Inside" morphs into a 30 minute jam, featuring a whole medley of songs. SCI seems to do the medley thing, extremely well. Next, was the favorite SCI song of yours truly, 2001's "Outside & Inside", which morphed into another four song jam, and in the middle of "Outside & Inside", there is an Allman Brothers-esque twin guitar jam.
Then comes the faster tempo in the medley of "Just One Story". It segues to "Way Back Home" with a synth riff that is vaguely reminiscent of a Jerry Garcia guitar solo, before the chorus repeats. "Just One Story" becomes a mid-tempo jam the rest of the way surely with a groove you can dance to. Alas, we have come to the encore. Bill Nershi gives some remarks to the crowd. "Thanks a lot, everybody. Good to be way up north." Members of the crowd get excited and begin to cheer. "One more song!"
Their wish, is granted. Michael Kang says "for those of you who want to join us again tomorrow, we get to do this all again." The encore is the bouncy, happy tune "Sweet Spot". This set has shown SCI's unique brand of jamming, and a fun approach to music, with deep roots. SCI played a second show at Palace, tonight (April 6th). Yours truly wishes he could have attended both. You can't have everything in life. But, that being said, you can have two reviews of two concerts. So, a link to the review of the Thursday show, will also be posted here, when I can find it.
Set list, String Cheese Incident Palace Theater, St. Paul, MN 4-5-17
1. So Far From Home
2. Falling Through The Cracks
3. Mouna Bowa
4. Stay Through > Joyful Sound
5. Rumble > One Step Closer > Let's Go Outside
6. Piece of Mine
7. Believe
8. Windy Mountain > Can't Stop Now
9. Seventh Step
10. Outside & Inside > Just One Story > Way Back Home > Just One Story
Encore:
11. Sweet Spot
https://www.jambase.com/article/string-cheese-incident-kicks-off-spring-tour-2017-st-paul
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