A “Critics Pick” for the 2007 Comfest festival (The Other Paper), the Red Eye Jive Pilots deftly walk the line between rock, pop, reggae, shoegaze and atmospheric noise. Their penchant for well-crafted songs and infectious grooves has earned them a legion of loyal followers in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Now, on the heels of their debut EP, $100 Hamburger, the Jive Pilots are hitting the road giving new fans a dose of their distinctive sound.
Their music has been described as “the love child of Pink Floyd and the White Stripes,” but shades of other artists are clearly evident, from Widespread Panic and Wilco to Gov’t Mule, The Clash and a variety of prog-rock jam bands.
Always open to the spontaneity of the moment, their energetic performances have captured audiences at such well-known Columbus venues as Little Brothers, The Newport Music Hall, The Basement, Andyman’s Tree House and Park Street Tavern. They’ve also opened for national touring acts including The Karl Denson Trio, Ike Reilly Assassination (RockRidge), Brothers Past (SCI Fidelity) and World Leader Pretend (Warner Bros). The Red Eye Jive Pilots are Eric Zielinski (guitar/vocals), hailed as “a wonderful new voice on the scene” (The Other Paper), James Dean (keyboards/vocals), Rob Mottice (drums/vocals) and Jeff Tobin (bass/harmonica).
