The Jam Band scene can be a hard bubble to burst for upcoming bands, partly because many fans are devoted to the grandfatherly gods of the genre (i.e. The Grateful Dead, Phish, String Cheese Incident), but also because there seem to be a lot of bands trying to get that free-flowing, from-the-basement improvised magic moving. Despite that, The Werks haven’t had a problem, rising over the past several years to hold major spots in festival lineups while also cultivating their own unique festival, The Werk Out, here in Ohio.
Officially formed in 2007 just up the road in Dayton, these eclectic musicians have been refining a sound that’s hard to pin down, like someone took all kinds of musical vegetables and made a harmonious stew. Funny how that worked out, because their name was actually born during their first meal together as a band when someone ordered a dish with “the works.”
Blending genres ranging from fat Funk and Blues to psychedelic Rock and Electronica, their guitar shreds, their keys and organs wail and their bass and drums form a pocket to create what they call “Psychedelic Dance Rock.”
The Werks boast four studio albums, the most recent of which was released in September and consists of several songs they’ve been playing live. While their albums capture the band’s sound surprisingly well, the larger collection of live recordings is a testament to The Werks’ essence: the live experience. Feeding off of audience energy, the band rides massive waves of improvised grooves, creating songs within songs and exploring genres within genres.
THE WERKS play at Madison Theater Saturday, Oct. 25. Find tickets/more info here.
