Every now and then you get a chance to see an artist doing something so amazing it’s hard to believe, and sometimes you get a chance to see that artist playing at a venue that is just too good to be true. Two nights ago I had the pleasure of seeing that artist in such a venue.
I have mentioned EOTO numerous times now to the Resonant Vibes community (including my original Livetronica blog post), but after the concert they played in Lexington Kentucky on Tuesday October 27th, I feel it would be quite an injustice not to describe my experience. Michael Travis and Jason Hann appear to have consciously avoided mainstream media, sophisticated marketing strategies, and intense promotions in favor of the old fashion “Word of Mouth” method. This choice seems to be working quite well for the former members of The String Cheese Incident. It has also lead them to play what some might consider to be less desirable venues, such as Cosmic Charlie’s, which is tucked away in a small strip mall along side 4 or 5 other retail outlets in the middle of nowhere. Yet this intimate atmosphere is exactly what the band wants and what they thrive on!
An EOTO show can pretty much be described as an intense tribal gathering where the goal is an attempt to connect with a higher consciousness. The music reduces every single person to their utmost primitive behavior in which their is only one thing to do and that is DANCE! There is no structure and no method, just human expression through movement. The music never stops with smoothly orchestrated transitions from one motif to another that mirror the precision of the worlds best DJs. With thick bass lines, monster drums beats, thunderous synth melodies and a whole slew of syncopated glitch sounds, it is damn near impossible not to get lost in the 100% improvised performance that EOTO puts on night after night.
It is obvious that Michael Travis and Jason Hann don’t care about fame or fortune. They simply want to play good music their way and embrace their fans as much as they have embraced EOTO. This was evident when after a solid 3 hours of playing both members jumped off the stage into the crowd and talked to everyone who came up to them. I will say they are some of the nicest musicians I have ever met! The highlight of the show for me was when a fan was holding a glass of bourbon up to Jason Hann, and while still playing drums, he took the glass, shot it back and continued on as if nothing happened.
Simply put EOTO creates live electronic music that can only be described as brilliant. Check out Resonant Vibes Exclusive Audio Interview with Michael Travis to learn more about the band and how they create this form of music! I highly suggest you check them out on tour in a town near you!
John “The Grizz” Grisanti
