The String Cheese Incident Performs Guest-Filled Sound Lab Set At Electric Forest

The first weekend of this year’s Electric Forest is well underway at Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan. Friday’s action included three sets from traditional headliner The String Cheese Incident. SCI’s second set was a collaboration-heavy affair dubbed “SCI Sound Lab.”

The Colorado jam act kicked off their first set with “Believe,” the title track from their recently released studio album. Friday’s first set rolled on with “Can’t Stop Now” and “Falling Through The Cracks” ahead of classics “Mouna Bowa” and “Sometimes A River.” A sequence of “Song In My Head” and “Nothing But Flowers” (Talking Heads) brought the guest-less opening stanza to its conclusion.

When The String Cheese Incident returned for their second set, they were joined by guitarist Eric Krasno. Kraz added to “Let’s Go Outside,” “Sugaree” and “Unconditional Love.” SCI then welcomed saxophonist Kamasi Washington and Snarky Puppy’s Robert “Sput” Searight for a wild rendition of John Coltrane’s “Impressions” that featured excursions to “Soul Shakedown Party” by Bob Marley and Fela Kuti’s “Zombie” within. Vocalist Matisyahu and electronic musician Liquid Stranger came out next for a jam before Matt Hill of The Floozies added to “Valley Of The Jig.” From there, SCI welcomed Brazilian Girls for their guests’ original “Pussy” and then closed the set without any help on a rare cover of Radiohead’s “The National Anthem.”

SCI opened the third and final set with a funky “Rosie” complete with a jam on “Crosseyed & Painless.” Up next was “Sirens” followed by a cover of “Freedom Jazz Dance” featuring Borahm Lee of Break Science on keys. A “Can’t Wait Another Day” and “Colorado Bluebird Sky” pairing then led into a finale of Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved.”

Electric Forest continues on Saturday with sets from My Morning Jacket, Bassnectar and many more.

Setlist (via Jambands.com)

Set One: Believe, Can’t Stop Now, Falling Through The Cracks, Mouna Bowa, Sometimes A River, Song In My Head, Nothing But Flowers

Set Two: Let’s Go Outside*, Sugaree*, Unconditional Love*, Impressions^ > Soul Shakedown Party^ > Zombie^ > Impressions^, Jam^^, Valley of the Jig^^^, Pussy$, The National Anthem

Set Three: Rosie, Sirens, Freedom Jazz Dance%, Can’t Wait Another Day, Colorado Bluebird Sky, Could You Be Loved

• *- with Eric Krasno
• ^ – with Kamasi Washington and Robert Searight
• ^^ – with Matisyahu and Liquid Stranger
• ^^^ – with Matt Hill
• $ – with The Brazilian Girls
• % – with Borahm Lee