Music
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Omaha six-piece gels, encounters many lakes
by Jesse D. Stanek
The Blue Martian Tribe has been gigging locally for the past two years, bringing their spaced out, often-inspired jams to the teetering and twirling masses. The six-piece features some inventive improvisation with a heavy nod to The Allman Brothers (at least with the guitars) and has used the past year to build their following, record some cuts and take their show on the road. After playing Dogstock in Kansas earlier in the year, the band is set to play this weekend at Gaea Retreat in McClouth, KS and then is gearing up for a Noon performance at the vaunted 10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes, MN.
"We’ll be the first band of the day on Friday [July 25] at High Noon," bassist and co-founder Ryan Redding offered. "Its kind of cool because there are no other stages going on that early so we’re the only music option at that time. It came about because Ourstage.com had this Cosmic Break contest where local bands put their stuff up on the website and then people listen and vote for what they like."
The contest culminated in a battle of the bands set at The Roxbury, where BMT competed against acts like Polydypsia and India and The Pale Ales.
"It came down to fan voting and we won," Redding added.
While the band is starting to make a name for itself outside of Omaha and Lincoln, their playing has tightened and their line-up has filled out with the addition of percussionist Ando Alback, who also plays with Dessa Vibes.
"Ando’s been playing with us since late March or so and he ended up kind of being the missing puzzle piece to our sound," Redding said. "He kind of adds the ‘Tribe’ part. Since he’s joined we’ve written like six songs, and I think we only had ten before that."
BMT has been recording at UNO (free of charge to boot) as part of a friend’s scholastic project. The band hopes the sessions will yield material for their first studio release. They are tentatively shooting for an early Spring 2009 release. As with any improvisation-based music outfit, the longer the players are together, the more places the band can go without effectively running each other off the stage or bringing the crowd to a state of utter boredom. BMT seem well on their way to avoiding those obvious pitfalls and becoming a sum much greater than its individual parts.
"I guess our goal is to make it a full-time thing," Redding said. "Nobody really wants a day job you know. But it’s also nice to just have that release of playing together a couple times a week."
The Blue Martian Tribe plays 10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes, MN Friday, July 25. For more information visit 10KLF.com.
22 Jul 2008
"Backbeat" The Reader, Omaha free newspaper
- The Reader, Omaha NE
Discography
Forthcoming independent release set for summer 2009
1. Scarletship Enterprise
2. Nozzle
3. Timmylynnbertus
4. The Big Fix
5. Wet Road
6. The Grind
7. Bakesale Tragedy
8. Fifth Season
Blue Martian Tribe live @ The Waiting Room
1. Funk Jam
2. New Socks
3. The Grind
4. It (Moe. cover)
5. Peas and Carrots
6. The Big Fix
7. Peter Rabbit
8. Stage Banter
9. Jam w/ Dave and Josh of The Station
10. Flipside
11. Stage Banter
12. Wet Road
Blue Martian Tribe Debut Release! (2006)
"Foreheads and Unibrows"
1. What's That Smell !?
2. Rico's Island Surprise
3. Getaway
4. High Maintenance
5. Minor Sandwich
Bonus Tracks from 2005:
6. Destination Somewhere
7. Flipside
Other Originals include:
Dry Kiss, Gaea, Music Cuffs, Music Cuffs II, Socks Get Old, and an ever growing number of projects
Photos
Bio
Since the spring of 2005 The Blue Martian Tribe has been on a steady rise in the jam band scene. Blending an eclectic mix of styles and sounds BMT, as they've come to be known to their fans, has been molding a sound all their own. From their ever growing library of original tunes, and cover tunes each night becomes an experience in itself. Drawing from the jam band influences of the members no two performances of the songs sound exactly alike, taking you on a musical journey each night that is never the same two nights in a row.
The Dual lead guitar duties shared by Matt Story, and Nick Konecny conjure thoughts of the Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead, Moe., and other jam rock greats. Matt brings the bluesy soulful influence to the sound with his deep growling voice. The Tribe's newest addition Ando Alback on percussion adds the world beat feel and really finally gives BMT the "Tribe" part of their sound. Adam Gerber holds down the drums with his tight funky grooves, and thumping double kick drum. Chris Story has fast become one of the areas best keyboardists blending great blues and funk chops with some jazz, and trancy psychadelic synthesizer sounds Chris covers so many layers of sound with his instrument. Not to mention the hip-hop/rock influenced vocals and harmonies he brings to the sound. Rounding out the sound and holding down the bottom end is Ryan Redding on bass. One of the hottest bassists in town he is just as comfortable slapping away or soloing as well as just holding down some tight and tasty grooves. Along with that he adds to the three part vocal attack of The Blue Martian Tribe.
BMT has performed over 50 shows since the spring of 2007 and things just keep getting bigger. In 2008 they were selected by fans to perform at the vaunted 10,000 lakes festival in July of 2008. BMT has also performed at several regional festivals including The Gaea Retreat, Dogstock 6, and 7, Gathering of Righteousness, and others. This year they organized a holiday benefit show for the Omaha food Bank which netted over $1000 and 200 lbs. of food. They have shared the stage with regional and national acts such as The Station, New Monsoon, Madahoochi, Mississippi Flapjacks, Polydypsia, The Wholes, Satchel Grande, Jah Roots, Bill Smith, Somasphere and many others. Take the chance to get out and have a "Close Encounter of the Funky Kind" with The Blue Martian Tribe as soon as you can!!!
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