Waterband
Thunderbird – Pittsburgh, PA – 10/26/12
by Ryan Neeley for Appalachian Jamwich
Princess Starshine – Contributor
Photos by Ryan Neeley
Seeing live music has always uplifted me in a way nothing can, but it takes a special band to move me. The Grateful Dead did it to me and in recent years, The Rumpke Mountain Boys and Michael Franti uplifted me in a way not many can. After seeing Northeast Ohio’s Waterband again this past Friday, 10/26, I can definitely add another group to the list. Their music is described as “Positive music for positive people that like to dance, and maybe get a little high,” and the smiling faces greeting me as we walked through the door put me at ease. The Thunderbird is a welcoming place, and Grey Area Productions has been working hard to bring us some of the best acts in the nation in quaint, personal settings. Props and many thanks to Grey Area for all your hard work!
Having experienced a bit of a rough week, with some car troubles and other things that snuck up on me, beat down and sore from the previous night seeing the Drive By Truckers and boogy-ing to The Rusty Haywhackers, I decided to head up to the Thunderbird to see Dreadlock Dave, John Welton and crew in their first visit to Pittsburgh in quite a while, and am I glad I did. I first saw Waterband at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park a few years back, and have caught them a few times since, but this would be the first time I would see them indoors where they could stretch out a bit.
Opening for Waterband was the Pittsburgh area band C.M.B. Having only been around since May of this year, the band has been working hard all summer to gain traction in the live music market, and it seems that their work has paid off, as they were surprisingly crisp for a band that’s been together less than a year. Consisting of Manny Guevara – drums, Dave Busch – Bass and Jason Carney – Guitar/Vocals, CMB lists their influences as anything from Medeski Martin and Wood to Mars Volta, Herbie Hancock and Christian McBride. Highlights of their summer included playing a set at Farm JamaLama Festival in Brookville, PA, and this trio of musicians will be playing at various venues in the Pittsburgh area in the coming months in preparation for the Summer festival season, where they hope to gain additional exposure playing in front of large audiences.
The Waterband took the stage a little after 10pm and wasted no time getting the dance floor shuffling to their upbeat lyrics, solid, thick bass lines, driving beats and wailing guitar. Originally founded in the year 2000 by bassist/vocalist Dreadlock Dave McDougald and guitarist/vocalist John Welton, who had played together in a band known as Vegetable Matter, Waterband plugged around in Northern Ohio and Pennsylvania for many years, until recently gaining some notoriety outside of the region, opening for the likes of George Clinton and P-Funk All Stars, Keller Williams, JGB, Vassar Clements, Vince Welnick and more. And listening to their music and lyrical brilliance, I have one thing to say – IT’s ABOUT TIME. According to their bio, their goal is very simple: inspire people of all ages to dance & be happy, spread positive vibes through their words & music and keep moving forward.
Noticeably absent from the stage on this temperate Friday night was keyboardist Ryan Mitiska, who recently ran into some legal issues and couldn’t attend, but the other members of the band, Josh Laird on guitar and Dan Carter on drums filled up the room nicely and laid the groundwork for Welton and McDougald to bring the “folkedelicfunkpop.” They did a rocking, chord fueled cover of the Who song Boris the Spider, in a nod to the Halloween holiday around the corner. The zombies and costumed characters filled up the dancefloor and shook their bones to the song It’s All about the Music. But the highlight of the evening, in my opinion, came when the band pulled out a fan favorite, Plug It. “There’s a hole in my bowl, won’t you plug it with a nugget,” with Dreadlock Dave demonstrating the sign language for the song. Another highlight, according to Ryan D. was “amazing diddies like Hippie Bus…… Man, oh man, was it an amazing night of music.” (thanks for the correction Ryan)
If you pay particular attention, the Waterband no longer needs to do a lot of cover songs to fill space or keep the crowd dancing. Many in the audience knew all the words to every Waterband song, and each selection was as impressive as the next. Their originals reek of patchouli and originality, as Welton has really honed the songrwriting craft in a way not many can. They have a plethora of original work to draw from, and the 18 years Welton and McDougald have played together is evident in their harmonies, energy, and stage presence. So the next time Waterband is in your town, even if you’re in a foul mood, go check them out. I guarantee that you’ll walk out of the venue with a new band to add to your list of artists that you can pop in, give a listen to, and uplift your spirit.
