Lotus | 11.03.07 | NYC
By Team JamBase Nov 19, 2007 • 12:00 am PST

Lotus :: 11.03.07 :: Bowery Ballroom :: New York, NY
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Fresh off a Northern Indiana college stint and signed to the Colorado-based SCI Fidelity Records, Lotus has made a name for themselves by cultivating a scene of jam band rock fused with the hedonistic seductiveness of a raging rave. In mythology, both Greek and Indian, the lotus is a plant that yields a fruit that induces a dream state upon ingestion, and in similar fashion the band Lotus unleashed their own form of intoxication upon the Bowery Ballroom.
The band is touring in support of their live release, Escaping Sargasso Sea (May 2007). The floor, which spilled down the back stairwells of the Ballroom, looked more like an ecstasy driven gyration fest reminiscent of Webster Hall. Glowing jewelry could be seen illuminating the audience while watchful eyes gazed down from above.
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With a double drummer attack of Clemens and Morris, Lotus’ sound is a full-figured tonal punch. Basslines hold down the snarl while percussion keeps the rhythm in check. Keyboard lines provide melody while Rempel’s screaming guitar licks sends the crowd into hysterics.
With the ballroom raging, the floor was a body of water flowing and churning like a single telepathically connected entity. The only thing keeping the people from mass collision was the fragrant smoke rising from it, serving as an inhibitor and cushion to all the roiling.
The showcase started in a funk-laden groove with hypnotic vibes. Extended jams became soul-sacrificing compositions. I laughed as I watched strangers make love connections in the crowd, sweating as their bodies rubbed against each other, becoming closer in the moment. The set slid gracefully into more dance-driven beats, and what stood out were compositions of unlimited improvisation and manipulation, with each band member adventurously pushing the stiffness out of their parts.
Some of the audience wore dark shades with long, overgrown beards as they swung their heads in indulgent euphoria. Clocking in with two one-hour sets, Lotus convincing dispelled any doubts and not only blew the roof off the Bowery Ballroom but converted a new fan.
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