The last half of The Werks' 12-year run has been a wild ride, to say the least. The Dayton, Ohio Jam/Psych/Funk quartet met at a local band competition in 2005 and vowed to work together, ultimately naming themselves after a component of their first meal together at a local restaurant.
Almost immediately after their official 2007 formation, The Werks released their debut album, Dig It, to ecstatic response from the Jam community. Since then, the band has cemented its well-deserved reputation with five more studio albums (including the recently released Magic, which showcases new bassist Jake Goldberg and the multitude of genres the band works within) and two live releases that captured the band's estimable stage skills.
It’s those live shows that have done the most for helping The Werks make a mark within the Jam universe, as the group hit up every appropriate festival in the States and overseas, including Camp Bisco, All Good, High Sierra, Wakarusa and Electric Forest. The band even went so far as to create its own annual event, the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival, in 2010. This year, the band debuted two more Werk Out fests — Winter Werk Out in Columbus, Ohio this past February and Werk Out West in Denver a month later. Between their relentless road schedule and fully packed slate of fest appearances, The Werks’ profile rose quickly amongst Jam fans; in 2011, the band hit the No. 2 position of top searches on popular Jam site jambase.com, second only to Phish. In 2012, The Werks took the top spot.
Half of The Werks' lineup has been fluid from nearly the start. Founding members Chris Houser and Rob Chafin — on guitar and drums, respectively — have been the band's only constants, with numerous shifts in the keyboard and bass positions. In 2014, Dan Shaw took over for longtime keyboardist Norman Dimitrouleas, joining Houser, Chafin and Dimitrouleas' bassist brother Dino. Early last year, the band learned that Norman had passed away (the day before David Bowie's unexpected death). A devastated Dino announced his indeterminate hiatus from the band, which added longtime friend Jake "Baby Hands" Goldberg as his interim replacement.
From the beginning, The Werks have survived turmoil and tragedy, forging even stronger bonds internally and with their audience as a result. Magic may stand as yet another fresh start for an amazing band.
