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The one thing I can guarantee is that, in 2006, we will play. I don't know when, I don't know where, and I don't know how often. I don't even know with who, but we, the remaining four members of ekoostik hookah, will play somehow.
-Dave Katz |
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Photo by Robert Massie
Dave Katz is looking forward to spending time with his family during the hiatus (especially eight month old son Dash). But he doesn't downplay the significance of this transition period. "I'm going to feel like one phase of my professional life is ending and a new phase is beginning. There have been changes before. I'll miss playing with Ed, but I'll move on to the next phase and appreciate what I get to do from here on in. There will be a bit of sentimentality, certainly, but you move on and make the best of it. That's what you've got to do." Katz also wonders, "I don't know if we have a legacy outside of the whole band. The whole thing is a legacy. Hookahville was a huge accomplishment. Having virtually the same band mates for 15 years, that's probably longer that 99% of bands that start up. And to me, that's something to be proud of – that longevity and the music we created. Whether the end for ekoostik hookah comes in one year, five years, or ten years, the legacy we leave will be a positive one. It's all been a challenge but we rose to it." Katz adamantly contends that the fans need to understand things will work out. "First off, thanks for the last fourteen and a half years! Be patient. Let us figure out what we want to do. If people want to hear us play, we'll play." However, Katz is willing to go on the line and make a very special promise. "The one thing I can guarantee is that, in 2006, we will play. I don't know when, I don't know where, and I don't know how often. I don't even know with who, but we, the remaining four members of ekoostik hookah, will play somehow. It might be once, twice, thirty times, but I don't think any of us have a solid idea until we do what we set out to do and that is to take a break, a hiatus. The whole point of that was to step aside from it all, then get together and figure out what we'd like to do. Of course, we planned on it before Ed left, so that puts a new spin on things. It's another thing to talk about, but it doesn't override the fact that we still need a rest. We'll get together sometime, maybe like in February, and discuss what we'd like to do. By March, we'll figure it out. I fully expect that by the end of April we'll play our first gig back." To conclude, Katz urges fans, "Definitely don't listen to rumors – it's not worth your time. Unless you talk to one of us specifically, don't believe it."
Ed McGee & Dave Katz
12.31.05 By Scott Preston |
Ed McGee's last bow on New Year's Eve was most likely the last time he will ever set foot on stage with ekoostik hookah. Almost right away, One Under gets his undivided attention as they hit the road to get their name and sound out there. Yet, McGee isn't looking forward without taking the time to reflect back and to be thankful for the experience. "My biggest accomplishment in my time in hookah is my songs; I think the way I write my songs has improved. See, with hookah, I write the song and pretty much have it done when I show it to the rest of the band, so it's a much more personal process - as opposed to the collaborative method I'm a part of with One Under. I take so much pride in the material I have written during this time – I tend to see my songs as 'children.' They grow and change over time just like people do. Some get more attention than others, and some disappear for a while. But, at the end of the day, I can think of the songs I've written and feel a lot of pride in that. The fact that hookah provided an outlet for so many people to hear what I had to say is amazing." McGee isn't about to start worrying about the possibility of competing for fans or even experiencing a head-to-head showdown if a reformed ekoostik hookah and One Under just happen to play the same town on the same night. "As I said before, I really believe that music is for sharing. A part of that sharing is that there is plenty of room for all the music to exist and to be appreciated. Music should not be a competition. I hate it when someone's got an attitude like Panic is better than String Cheese or whatever. It's not that important, you know? Relax and go with the flow." McGee wishes his band mates all the best and wants to see them continue to play and to grow. "I hope Hookahville is the band's lasting legacy. I really hope it keeps happening." Finally, Ed McGee has an important message for the fans that have supported ekoostik hookah through the years. "I would love to just tell the fans that it's been an honor to have been a part of this. I will definitely miss the feelings I got playing with these guys and for our wonderful fans. I truly appreciate their caring and support so much. Every time they sang along, it meant so much to me. I hope the fans don't forget me - I'll never forget all the great times."
As absolutely uncertain as ekoostik hookah's future is, it's doubtful that fans will forget Ed McGee or any other member of ekoostik hookah anytime soon. Whether this hiatus serves as just a long, refreshing breather or the foothill to a more extensive break, it is undeniable that the contributions this band leaves behind permeate the whole scene of which they have been such a big part. It's certain that the other band members have their stories and insights, but Dave Katz, Ed McGee, and Cliff Starbuck seem to have reached a quorum. The consensus? Change is nothing to be afraid of because it is something one can never avoid. With change's inevitability, fear only causes lack of focus on the things that are truly important. So now, as the "Sun Goes Down" on this chapter in the story of this mainstay of Midwest music, Dave Katz alludes that "You always know there'll be another show" while fans and band members alike take "One Last Look Around." The fans have a chance to reflect on and to appreciate the all-encompassing good vibes and good feelings that these musicians have painstakingly provided for years. As Dave Katz explains, the very first letter of ekoostik hookah's name represents those vibes and all the band has accomplished. Take those sentiments and break them down to their simplest component, "with all things stripped away," like Cliff Starbuck says, and you get the core of what ekoostik hookah and the schwa signify – homegrown, heartfelt, honest music meant to be experienced live and shared with friends. Whatever happens, those vibes and that impact will never go away, no matter what the future brings. No matter what changes, the schwa remains the same.
JamBase | Hookahville
Go See Live Music!
EKOOSTIK HOOKAH JAMCAM VIDEO LINKS:
Dragonfly, Hookahville, Hookahville, Lady Vanilla, Rose, Schwa High, Spiders
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