Vinegar Tasters
Boulder, Colorado, United States
Music
Press
Ashley Dean
If you go
What: Vinegar Tasters
When: 10 p.m. Saturday
Where: Dark Horse, 2922 Baseline Rd., Boulder, 303-442-8162
Cost: free
darkhorsebar.com
Vinegar Tasters are taking a philosophical approach to music.
The Boulder-based rock group is named for a painting that depicts three Chinese men tasting vinegar, representing three dominant philosophies interpreting the world differently, but together. The band's goal is to bring different influences and styles together, and for everyone listening to its music to get something different out of it.
They bring that attitude to their rehearsal space on a quiet farm, where they write what keyboardist and singer Josh Turnquist called their “homegrown style of rock.”
“At the moment it basically turns into one person writing, then once you bring that song into the band it can become something completely different,” Turnquist said. “The band is a collaboration and if everyone isn't into it and if everyone doesn't like it then it doesn't work.”
Luckily for Vinegar Tasters, their influences aren't so wildly different that they can't work together effectively. “We're all very much into rock ‘n' roll. Micah likes metal, Johnny loves jazz and punk, and I'm kind of all over the map,” Turnquist said.
The result, oddly enough, is a very straightforward rock sound, which can come as a relief when so many other bands are creating multi-genre hybrids. The most noticeable influence in Vinegar Tasters sound is probably metal, even though they don't fall hard into that category.
The group has been active for about a year and a half now - though Turnquist and his brother Micah, who plays the drums, have been playing together most of their lives. They met their guitar player, Johnny Polymers, when he moved into their apartment building in downtown Boulder.
“I lived downtown and we got this crazy dude who moved in ... and he became our guitar player,” Turnquist said. “Basically it just turned into late-night sitting with neighbors and talking and getting to know each other. And then one day Johnny brought out his acoustic guitar and that was it.”
Vinegar Tasters have one album out, but they're adamant that it doesn't represent their best work. If you ask them, they're much better live.
“We recorded that album in the infancy of the band,” Micah Turnquist said. “And we hadn't developed the sound.”
It seems like they're feeling much better about the sound now, though. They've been applying to festivals like South By Southwest and working on new songs, and they hope to have an EP out within the next few months.
Otherwise, the trio is running around the area playing live shows. They've been around Denver a lot lately, with gigs at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, Larimer Lounge and Bushwackers Saloon, but their show at the Dark Horse this Saturday will be their first in Boulder.
Read more: http://www.coloradodaily.com/music/ci_19356441#ixzz1e4P4zhbw
Coloradodaily.com - colorado daily
Vinegar Tasters is a local rock outfit who defies an easy description. They are a 3-piece band full of melody and energy. The music they play has elements of hard rock, jazz, punk, all with an experimental bent. The beat that comes out is infectious. You won't be able to stop dancing. This show is filled with music that will leave you breathless. Check out the free tracks on their website, vinegartasters.com. Then tell your friends... - daily camera
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Boulder, Colorado based Vinegar Tasters attempts to break down barriers surrounding traditional discourse in the world. Blending musical styles and incorporating many influences, their intent is give listeners a new way of thinking accompanied by a new style of music.
The painting 'The Vinegar Tasters' (sometimes known by other titles) is a classic Chinese allegorical artwork depicting the three dominant modes of philosophy in Chinese tradition. Each philosopher, tasting life and the world, interprets it differently, yet they are not incompatible. We try to foster that type of outlook about the world and try to bring together peoples with different backgrounds around a common love of music. As with the painting, each listener will get out of the music something different than their neighbor or friend.
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