Lay down a foundation of progressive rock. Please don’t forget that jazz. Add a touch of bluegrass, shake in some R&B, and drop in a hunk of funk – hell, throw in the kitchen sink while you’re at it. That comes close to summing up this Raleigh-based quartet.
Featuring soaring four-part harmonies and inventive songwriting, ZEGG gives gracious nods to Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, Umphrey’s McGee, Talking Heads, and countless others. Yet ZEGG is a funhouse mirror reflection of its influences rather than a carbon copy.
ZEGG consists of bassist Shane Bullis, guitarist Mike Gloss, keyboardist Chris Johnson, and drummer "Bongo" John Metcalf. With four different songwriters, ZEGG’s music covers a lot of ground.
The lyrics fall anywhere from humorous to dark to quirky, and the music includes “shake your ass” tunes, shorter radio-friendly songs, and longer pieces that feature intricate changes and opportunities for improvisation. The Independent Weekly describes ZEGG as “a natural progression in the timeline of groove and jam, applying a tasteful pop gloss to an eclectic, dexterous sound.”
ZEGG’s live shows are energetic and unique every time. One minute they’re doing their own version of Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful,” and the next they’re grooving with the crowd to “Snowdrift Blues,” a 9-minute multi-part original piece.
Winner of the Relix Magazine’s 2007 “JamOff!” competition, ZEGG has released one studio album, The Ride (2006), and is currently working on its second. They play extensively around Raleigh, NC, and are constantly breaking into new territory.
