Smokestack Burns Brightly

Originally published in Northern Express (August 24, 2002)

Despite an amazing lack of promotion, the first annual Bonaroo Music Festival held in Tennessee this past July managed to draw a sold-out crowd of 75,000 visitors from all over the country. The line-up read like a Who's Who of the premiere acts on today's jam band circuit and the word-of-mouth fanaticism quickly spread among fans of the genre. It was a modern marvel that brought these bands together (conceived by Trey Anastasio of Phish, also including Widespread Panic, String Cheese Incident, and many others) and sent a clear message that there is an audience for this increasingly popular style of music. The phenomenon continues to grow, slowly and steadily, just below the antennae of mainstream press and radio.

Ann Arbor's Smokestack has consistently been grouped in the jam-band category. They didn't make the trip to Bonaroo, however, as they have been busy pioneering a festival of their own. It is their most ambitious project to date, but careful planning has culminated in a late summer weekend now known as the Michigan Shoreline Music Festival.

Taking place at Val-Du-Lakes in Mears, Michigan, the first annual affair is scheduled for August 23 and 24. The weekend of music and camping brings together a variety of Michigan's youngest and most promising bands to play for 18 hours on two stanges and for only $10. It is an all-ages event and Smokestack headlines with the Detroit-based band Simplicity. The Festival includes appearances by Jiant, The Flow, Jebus, Glowb, and a number of acoustic performers.

Val-Du-Lakes--which has hosted Lollapalooza and the H.O.R.D.E. Tour in years past--also has on-site camping facilities and is located near Silver Lake State Park and the sand dunes of Lake Michigan. Several other campgrounds are nearby and tickets can be purchased through the band's website (www.smokestack.org).

The band felt that a Jam Festival would be a perfect complement to Michigan's existing summer festivals. And as an annual event, it will foster jam-based music created in Michigan and beyond.

Smokestack has improvised steadily since its formation in 1998, fine-tuning their material. Keyboardist James Sibley and guitarist Chuck Newsome found common ground as students of jazz at the University of Michigan and at Wayne State University, respectively.

"You can tell the bands that have studied from those that haven't. Studying allows the music to be more complex and gives a tighter sound," said Sibley. "The communication when you're playing--that's what you learn from schooling and with good jazz players." It made sense, therefore, when Dan Eichinger, also a student of jazz at the University of Michigan, entered the picture. The three have honed their ability to improvise and react to one another. There is an obvious connection to jazz, but Smokestack visibly enjoy tackling multiple genres.

Not enough has been written about Brennan Andes, the talented young bass player who joined the band recently (he played his first show with the band at the Loading Dock in Traverse City on April 13th). Wearing a black hat which spelled out 'New Recruit' in bold yellow letters, FBI-style, it was clear from that night forward how he would bring not only extraordinary skill to the band but also a daring sense of humor. For such a young musician its almost startling how well he can play. He is a versatile performer on both acoustic and electric bass, a blooming songwriter and bring a youthful exuberence to an already young, motivated band.

Their live performance has drawn more attention to the band than their debut album, "It's Coming Down," independently released in 2001. Each song provides the basic framework of melody and serves as a springboard to something unanticipated, often unrepeatable freeform.

Electric is a goal towards which more and more bands are aspiring. But Smokestack have turned this into an artform; their set lists are unpredictable, and meticulously documented on their website (some of the set lists date back as far as 2001). They are all highly capable musicians and this paves the way for a performance that is constantly evolving and highly experimental. Take, for example, the opening of their second set in Rubble's in Mount Pleasant on May 1st of this year; the "Eight Legged Bass Jam" saw all four band members making music on Brennan's acoustic upright bass at the same time, with Dan and Chuck drumming on the body while James and Brennan plucked the strings. Another show finished with the band leaving the stage one by one, until finally Dan finished the set with a drum solo. They've played with a horn section, and collaborated with several of Ann Arbor's freestyle MCs. The band is as likely to cover Miles Davis as they are to cover Ben Folds or the Bangles.

They've shared the stage with Keller Williams, Dark Star Orchestra, Jazz Mandolin Project, The Big Wu, Umphrey's McGee, The Slip and Ekoostic Hookah. Their journey has taken them throughout the Midwest, as far south as Missouri, and a recent tour through Sibley's home state of Colorado. "It was rewarding to have the band play their opening night at Quixote's in Denver to an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd," said manager and promoter, Pedro Martinez-Fonts.

The band has been getting more northern exposure, as well. That trend continues with a pair of dates at the Loading Dock in TC this upcoming labor day weekend (August 30th and 31st).

For ticket information and to hear more, visit their website at www.smokestack.org.
Venue Info: Val-Du-Lakes, 1533 N. Wilson Rd., Mears, MI, (231) 873-5451.