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Picture this: The crowd swarms around you as the band
takes the stage. You close your eyes and let the
music take your body to exotic places...
The image is easy to summon from memory because I know a lot of you out
there have experienced this moment before. But Particle shows are different--it's tough to close your eyes at a Particle show. Justin Halgren is a master of the lightboard. His expertise is obvious as the lights surround you and take you to another realm.
I first saw Particle, hailing from L.A., in 2000 when they came to the East Coast for the first time. They played New York and Philly and packed the house both nights. I had previously enjoyed their song "Kneeknocker" on a compilation entitled Jams Vol. 1: Don't Call Us
Jambands (I HIGHLY recommend this CD--you can get it
at www.homegrownmusic.net), but I had no idea what I was in for when I entered the club. The music impressed me and definitely made me boogie but what really struck my fancy were the lights. At the time they had a projectionist with them AND a light guy. Since then
the eye candy has been abundant.
Pujalet, Wasserman & Gould by Jon Leidel |
This past Valentine's Day, Particle, preparing for the explosion of their first studio release Launchpad (available March 23 online and in stores everywhere), dug in for their second time at Asheville's hottest venue, the Orange Peel. This time they had Rob Wasserman both
opening and sitting in with them. The room was
filling up and the energy building as Rob
tore through some amazing tunes. He makes it look so
easy, like he is barely even touching the strings
sometimes. If you have never seen Rob perform, make
it a point to do so. Not only is he a great person
but he plays one hell of a stand up. Eric Gould, bass
player for Particle, took the stage with Rob during the
opening set for a bass players dual of sorts. Eric and
Rob were exchanging talents when next thing you know
Darren "D-Ron" Pujalet, drummer of Particle, took
the stage throwing beats behind them. What an
incredible improv session!!
Particle by Jon Leidel |
Steve Molitz, Particle's keyboardist, was vibrant as
usual with his quirky style behind the keys. If you
have ever seen Particle play, you'll know what I mean.
Even though he's off to the side he's almost always
the center of attention. He's got some of the best
facial expressions. And the energy he puts off as he
bounces around is exhilarating. Guitarist Charlie Hitchcock reminds me of a true
rock star. These guys have such a playful attitude
onstage. Charlie started off the show announcing that
Steve wrote the first song in honor of Valentine's Day
on the bus on the way there. Seconds later they tore
into a musical interpretation of Led Zeppelin's "Whole
Lotta Love." Steve simulated the lyrics of the song
with his voracious keyboard skills.
Particle tends to have the habit of getting so into
their music that they play over their set time. Yet
again this happened at the Peel. By the time the
encore rolled around they had two songs planned and only three minutes left to play before they got
cut off, which I have seen happen before. This is the
sign of a great Particle gig. Post show I got a
chance to catch up with the boys and they claimed that
for them the show was off the hook. Charlie said to
me that this was the best show they have had since
coming off the Jam Cruise in mid-January.
Particle | 02.14.04 | Orange Peel | Asheville, NC
Set One: Whole Lotta Love, Triple Threat, Zia* w/Rob Wasserman, Elevator
Set Two: Loose Caboose, Robots, Make It Real, Sun Mar 11
Encore: Waterfall
Rhoni Sampson
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