Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Lotus on tour in support of new release

For those waiting for a concert experience with the dynamics of a rock band (read: no laptops), the dance inducing rhythms of club music, and the sophistication of modern electronica, an unlikely musical alternative has arrived in the form of the band Lotus. Formed at a Mennonite college that had banned on-campus dancing as late as the 1980’s, Lotus brings their club-worthy beats and rocking instrumental anthems to theaters throughout the country this fall. No glow-stick bracelets, pretentious Can trivia, or expensive distressed fashion required.

Lotus’s new release, Escaping Sargasso Sea (May 2007), is a double-disc live album that draws from two previous studio albums, Nomad and The Strength of Weak Ties, along with never before released material. From the post/math-rock of “When H Binds to O” to the slippery dance beats of “Wax,” this collection shows Lotus’s ability to deconstruct, stretch, and rebuild their compositions spontaneously on stage. Restraining from flaunting their individual chops, Lotus builds compositions on catchy melodies and heavy grooves.

The five-piece band has creatively fused electronic dance music with instrumental post-rock for eight years. The result is an explosive live show that has made crowds get down across the US, Canada, and Japan. Armed with a massive light rig and one of the most energetic shows on the circuit, Lotus proves why they have become a go-to act for late night festival slots. This tour takes the band into renowned theatres nationwide including the Ogden Theatre in Denver, the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, Park West in Chicago, and the Bowery Ballroom in New York.

Lotus’ complete list of confirmed Fall Tour dates is as follows:
09/28 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
09/29 Red Square Albany, NY
10/04 Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO
10/05 Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins, CO
10/06 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
10/08 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ
10/09 Winston's San Diego, CA
10/10 Knitting Factory West - Main Room Hollywood, CA
10/11 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
10/12 Moe's Alley Santa Cruz, CA
10/13 Crown Room Crystal Bay, NV
10/18 WOW Hall Eugene, OR
10/19 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, OR
10/20 Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA
10/23 Club Roxbury Omaha, NE
10/24 The Cabooze Minneapolis, MN
10/25 Majestic Theatre Madison, WI
10/26 Park West Chicago, IL
10/31 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
11/01 Pearl Street Northampton, MA
11/02 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
11/03 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
11/23–11/24 World Cafe Live - Downstairs Philadelphia, PA
12/31 Mr. Smalls Theatre Pittsburgh, PA
For more information please visit www.lotusvibes.com.

Later this year, look for a Lotus remix project with LCD Soundsystem label-mate Juan Maclean.

What critics have been saying about Lotus:

“…intent on creating a new genre (few try that these days)...it is rock, and smart disco, funk and soul, piano pop, world music, and modern alienation stuff and jazz fusion you can dance to all wrapped up in cellophane.” -Big Takeover

“In this new terrain in which lie endless creative possibilities, Lotus continue to expand upon its post-everything rock/electronic/jazz/free-form pastiche.” -Big Shot Magazine

“If you were listening to the music of Philadelphia five-piece Lotus right now, you would be dancing. There’s no doubt about that. Their grooves are tight, and fast, and fun, and one would be hard-pressed not to shake it hard at a Lotus show.” -Jambands.com

No comments: