For the five guys in this upstate New York-based outfit, touring and recording are two completely different animals. Only orchestra seats were sold for the show, giving the Landmark a slight empty feeling. But the crowd remained on its feet, dancing throughout. From bluegrass to heavy metal, they exhibited tight improvisational skills. The other band members are Jim Loughlin and Vinnie Amico.
Most jam bands play a song, tinker around and end it.
The first set featured old and new tunes. It's rolling bass line led to Schnier's synthesizer howls that screeched almost to a halt, but instead eased into a spacey jam that floated around for 15 minutes before Derhak bound back through with the driving bass line. At this point the lights were frantic, the audience was too and Schnier turned back to the guitar for a speedy, electrically searing return to the first hook. Then the three-part, harmonized vocals sped up to a screaming climax and finish. Don't let the jam band label scare you.