Synthesizers, cowbell, extended
guitar jams and the occasional robot-
voiced chant: for a band that formed
at a Mennonite school in 1999, Lotus
possesses a hellishly unique sound. Not
bad for a five-piece that hail from an
alma mater that had banned dancing up
until the late 1980’s.
If it were any other band, it would be fun
to go on and on about the backstory, maybe
drop a reference or two to Footloose.
But that would ultimately prove a
disservice to Lotus, a real band with a
real backbeat, one that has been known to
leave fans hurting the day after a show,
a result of excessive dancing. Plus,
Lotus draws their powers from far hipper
influences than Kenny Loggins-- Depeche
Mode (the synth swirls) and The Talking
Heads (the fun, uplifting spirit), just to
name two.
Described by the ill-informed as a
jam band, possibly because of their
sick showing at Jam Cruise, Lotus have
captured hearts and soles by logging
lots of hours on the road and creating
a sound that is utterly of the moment.
They’ve played across the United States,
Canada and have even taken their
flashing lights and pulse-pounding sound
to Japan.
One way or another, Lotus will get your
feet moving. Either from dancing to
their tunes or by forcing you to kick
yourself the next day for missing out on
the fun.
lotus
---Shawn Decker
Catch LOTUS at the 9:30 Club in DC on Sat, Nov 1
or at The National in Richmond on Sun, Nov 2
or at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke on Mon, Nov 3