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On Saturday night Particle finished a month long tour that took off in Boulder, Colorado and landed in San Diego, California. This has been an exciting tour for Particle whose members have gotten the chance to collaborate on stage with bands like Ween, Galactic, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Giant People, andDJ Harry. For a band that has been together for just under a year they have grown leaps and bounds in delivering a much tighter and more powerful sound. On top of their newfound stage presence they have an amazing new video animation/projection system anchored by Scott MacKinnon. During this tour they also worked on new material and experimented with free jams that would stretch up to twenty minutes in length.
Particle had two previous visits at Winston's in Ocean Beach this year, but on Saturday night the venue was completely packed and the party vibe was in full effect. Particle opened with a mellow groove that developed into an inventive free jam. About 3 minutes into the exploration Winston’s became a giant dance party. The free jam stopped on a dime after roughly 15 minutes and Eric Gould dropped a bass bomb that led right into a blistering cover of Grant Green's “Windjammer.” Guitarist Charlie Hitchcock really had time to shine during this tune with some fast but melodic jazz riffs in the song's introduction and tight rhythmic funk in the middle section of the jam. Next was Steve Molitz's time to get funky with the Herbie Hancock inspired "Pipedream." Molitz just wailed on keys for the first half of the song and then the whole band picked up and dove into a disco-style party beat before nailing the ending in complete unison. Without wasting any time, Particle launched into the Latin shuffle of “iDepinga” where Hitchcock showcased such intensity that he broke a string and continued to finish his solo without missing a note. The set ended with an huge version of “Roads a Breeze at 3am,” which went through some challenging and fluid changes. The jam moved from Gould's opening bass rumble to an extended Molitz's Moog-synthesized freak out. Molitz quickly turned the song over to Hitchcock who delivered one of his best bluesy solos of the night. After drummer Darren Pujalet added powerful fills, all four members got completely locked back into the trance groove and the crowd was going bonkers. The old and new fans alike were all feeling it and the band was pumped to come back for set 2.
After a fifteen-minute break, Particle was back for more jamming, but the "Space Porn" soundtrack was about to embark on a voyage that had never been heard before. After a few minutes of space, Gould dropped into the classic funk of the anthemic “Golden Gator.” As the funk got thicker the Ocean Beach crowd swelled back onto the dance floor and they refused to leave for the rest of the evening. This song started with a slower funk groove but then morphed into a high-energy trance jam that eventually found its way into the new introspective jam of “7th Gear.” They didn’t finish the jam but instead segued right back into the rave-like section of “Golden Gator.” Drummer Darren Pujalet showed his leadership qualities by effortlessly changing the tempo and bringing the band back into “Gator” and through many other segues in this set. Next was the sonic voyage of “Ed And Molly” which showcases Gould's progressive bass playing, the gradual layering of Hitchcock's guitar riffs, and Molitz's spacey fills on keys and other electronic toys. This jam is all about tension and release with the crowd anticipating the next explosion. Instead of finishing the jam, they segued into a down and dirty “Ready Made Gangsta” that had many beers spilling on the floor. Eric Gould played like a man possessed, jumping up and down in unison with the electrified crowd. Somehow “Ready Made Gangsta” found its way back into the ripping conclusion of an "Ed and Molly" for the history books.
Next was the long anticipated debut of the “Ghost Highway jam” to Southern California. This jam climbed to new heights and left no doubt that Hitchcock is an all-star guitarist. His aggressive sound gives Particle the hard rock edge that separates them for being labeled as an organic techno-funk band. After that treat it was back to a full throttle adventure flying through “7th Gear.” This song has developed from an abstract jam to a monster Particle staple in recent months. Just when we thought we couldn’t take it anymore, Pujalet slid the band back into yet another “Golden Gator Reprise” which had Winston’s screaming in joy and celebrating the arrival of one of the funkiest and energetic bands on the planet. Particle unfortunately had no time for an encore, but there were nothing but smiling faces in the crowd when it came to an end.
9/1/01 was a landmark show for Particle, and will be widely talked about for months. Who knows what happened on this night? Maybe it was the full moon rising over the Pacific Ocean or the fantastic mix of Los Angeles faithful and San Diego freaks. All we know is that magic happened on this night, and no explanation is needed. This is just the beginning of something truly special. Particle will be enjoying a much needed break for the next few weeks, and rehearsing some brand new material to take up north on their second full length Pacific Northwest tour. They play next on September 12th at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco where they open for Soulive. Also stay tuned for Particle's 1-year anniversary party on October 6th. Long live Space Porn Funk!
Erik Koral and Seth Eisenstein
So-Cal Particle People
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