The following is a guest article courtesy of Cassidy Maley, photos courtesy of Mark Loveless recapping the Ekoostik Hookah show in Columbus, IN on December 15th.
Ekoostik Hookah and Howard, Lewis and Lovins
December 15, 2012
Written by Cassidy Maley * Photos courtesy of Mark Loveless * Edited by Ryan Neeley
On a temperate Saturday night in December, a tightly-knit crowd gathered for one of the most personal Ekoostik Hookah shows I have seen to date. The setting was in a small town called Columbus, Indiana in one of the most historic venues in the state. The Crump theater is rumored to have opened in 1889 and it’s claim to fame is as one of Indiana’s oldest theaters. It is a seated theater with a small pit area at the front with standing and dancing room. This allowed the crowd to get up close and personal with the band. The opening band, Howard, Lewis, & Lovins, a group of local talent, set the tone for the night with their diverse, fusion style jams. They got the crowd moving with their uptempo style, and local roots. As groups of people entered the theater, you could feel the love that this town shares for their local musicians.
Ekoostik Hookah took the stage and energized the crowd with some more funky, fusion, jazzy, jams. Opening with a high energy jam, only to announce that they would be playing one long set. Although the crowd was a bit smaller than expected, you could feel the energy flowing through the theater. They did a fantastic job adjusting to the crowd they were entertaining, and kept the setlist light and the jams moving fast. Dave Katz showed the crowd his true talent and versatility by switching from vocals to guitar to keyboard and back, giving each jam a new life with his unique bluesy voice and musical talents. Hookah then invited Derick Howard to the stage for a jam filled with awesome guitar rifts from this talented musician. Usually a one man show, it was great to see him playing with a full band of this caliber. Ekoostik Hookah is known for its tight knit family atmosphere. The band has an enthusiastic following that has stuck with them through their many changes, and this family atmosphere could be felt all through the theater Saturday night. The tight knit crowd combined with the up close and personal stage set up made for a fun night where the band could pick up on the energy of the crowd and vice versa. The music was just as phenomenal as the atmosphere of the theater, which was built with good acoustics in mind. The sound was spot on at any place in the theater, and the lights looked great from the balcony and the floor. It was a great night for all friends and family and we look forward to Hookah making another trip to Indiana soon.
