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I get the sense that the jam band scene isn't as alive in the colleges right now as much as it was when I was coming up. But I know those things move in waves and things get recycled... It feels good to be part of a community. It feels good to be older in the scene.
-Zach Gill |
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Photo: (left to right) Gill, Lebowitz, Adams, Brogan
Lebowitz says that talking to people at the merch table after the shows proved successful in spreading the band's vibe. "People would come up going, 'Oh wow, I haven't heard bands do that before, that section where it sounded like you were making it up as you went.' And we're like, 'Yeah, that's what we were doing.' To them, it's a brand new thing," says Lebowitz.
Dan Lebowitz :: The Fillmore by Weiand |
Brogan says playing in Brazil with Jack Johnson in front of a huge crowd was a surreal experience, but selling out The Fillmore was more meaningful.
"Playing The Fillmore was such a huge goal for us. Knowing that pretty much everyone is there to see you and they're just into it is a great thrill," Brogan says. "There's been way bigger crowds that we've played for, way weirder situations, even way louder crowds, but that was definitely up there. Playing in Brazil in Rio De Janeiro, that was more surreal. That's when you're kind of just laughing because it's a surreal experience. You don't know what's going on but it's crazy."
Gill says the reason Bonnaroo bands are becoming more mainstream is all about the love. "I think what's so cool about the jam band movement - bands like Phish, Evil Farmer or even ALO - is everyone is thinking about trying to take all these elements of music that everybody's fallen in love with and put them together in this new and personal way. I think that's so cool," says Gill. "These things move in waves. I get the sense that the jam band scene isn't as alive in the colleges right now as much as it was when I was coming up. But, I know those things move in waves and things get recycled. It's exciting. It feels good to be part of a community. It feels good to be older in the scene. I'm definitely feeling the youth."
Steve Adams by Jonathan D. Nimerfroh |
To support the next generation of musicians, Lebowitz says that one of the causes ALO has taken up is music education in public school.
"We're all people that came up through public school music departments. By senior year I was in the jazz band, the jazz choir, the concert choir and the marching band - four things a day, and there was still other stuff, like orchestra. Now at my old high school the only options are band and one choir," laments Lebowitz.
"Music was the way for me. Once I found my path with it, it became the way I got through life," Gill says. "It scares me to think that people who have a brain that works like mine, if they tried to force themselves into science, I wonder what would happen to them. It's so important to keep other options open. For me, music is something close to home."
"I went to my daughter's school and did some music the other day, showing a six-year old kid a Middle Eastern dumbek," says Gill. "I think there's a lot of people in the world who don't do well in the standardized curriculum that has become the education of the United States. If not for music I wouldn't have gotten into college!"
Adams says the other cause the band pushes is good music. "I think we all believe in music. It can be a really powerful force for us and other people. Getting people to come together and dance, and have this experience and interact. That's the biggest thing we try to do. We try to make the concert a safe place where people can come and enjoy a positive thing. People leave a show and they are inspired," offers Adams.
ALO |
Brogan says the only challenge left for the band is to be embraced by the indie rock scene, but he's not sure it will ever happen.
"We never get invited to do anything remotely hip or cool, whether it's the Sasquatch! festival or anything like that. We're pretty much the antithesis of anything indie rock," says Brogan. "We're like indie rock poison. I don't think indie rock people want us anywhere near them. Not to be too technical, but they're afraid of 1/16th notes. So, if you don't go 'da-da-da-da-da-da-da' but you go 'da-dink-a-da-duh-da-de-da-duh' they don't like it, that 16th note thing, man. They just want straight 1/8 notes."
If the true definition of the word "indie" is doing it all on your own (with a little help from your friends) then ALO is a true "indie" band. Lebowitz says that they will continue to go down this road. "Sure, we're working together and we're building this business, but we've been doing this since we were in 7th grade and we didn't even know what the word business was."
Adams sums up the band's path with a simple statement that belies ALO's contentment with the process, "The fact that we've lasted this long feels meaningful."
JamBase | Liberated State
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