dave-O Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 They're hooked on jammin' Dave Rahmer used to hate the term 'jam band.' Now he and the rest of Ferriswheeler are a big part of the jam scene. Wes Smiderle The Ottawa Citizen Thursday, March 20, 2003 CREDIT: Patrick Doyle, The Ottawa Citizen Guitarist Dave Rahmer, left, and Egan Chung, bass, of the Ottawa jam band Ferriswheeler played at Babylon on Saturday. The band will perform at the One World Beat music festival tomorrow night at Zaphod's. The Saturday night crowd is cool, but scruffy. Lots of beards, bellbottoms and backpacks. Some people shoot pool. Others chat in clusters while seated in the booths or standing around the bar. The club air is ripe with incense. On stage, the members of Ferriswheeler ease into their set with a steady groove and then build tempo in hopes of teasing the spectators onto the dance floor. The audience is interested, yet remains more contemplative than feisty. The musicians trade off on vocals while upping the dance vibe with solos from guitarist Dave Rahmer and Aljee, a sax player and recent addition to the group. Eventually, a pair of elfin women wriggle towards the barren semi-circle in front of the stage and start dancing. The crowd loosens and has warmed up nicely by the time headline act Drums and Tuba chug onto the stage at midnight. Opening for Drums and Tuba at Babylon is an indication of just how dramatically Ferriswheeler's sound has evolved since the band formed in the summer of 1999. The Ottawa quartet started out performing verse-chorus-verse pop music with a female lead vocalist. The singer left (amicably) and the remaining musicians hooked up with Aljee, who also hosts a Tuesday night open-stage jam session at Caf? Deckuf. Deckuf is a small but comfortable Rideau Street club that has become a popular hub for local bands in general, and jam bands in particular. The Tuesday night sessions can sometimes feature a bizarre assortment of instruments, including steel drums and even bagpipes. Between frequent appearances at Deckuf and a memorable 3 a.m.-until-sunrise performance at the Flaps Off the Side of the Moon outdoor festival in Killaloe last summer, Ferriswheeler now finds itself comfortably ensconced within the jam scene. "I used to have a real aversion to the term 'jam band,'" admitted guitarist Dave Rahmer, while sipping a pint in the cosy, underground confines of the Manx pub on Elgin Street a few days before Ferriswheeler opened for Drums and Tuba. "We don't really have anything in common with Phish or the (Grateful) Dead. "On the other hand, we always improvise and there's definitely experimentation going on." Noting that the label "jam band" has broadened to include groups like B?la Fleck and Martin, Medeski and Wood, Rahmer said he's now proud to be included in a scene comprised of people who simply love live music. "There's a certain vibe. A dancey groove. Good songs. Devoted fans ... Who wouldn't want to be a part of that scene?" Ferriswheeler performs with Seismic as part of the One World Beat music festival at 8 p.m. tomorrow at Zaphod's, 27 York St. Admission is $6. The One World Beat global festival is a series of concerts taking place in cities around the world in an effort to promote awareness and raise funds for global and local charities. One dollar from every admission charge for concerts at Zaphod's from tonight through Saturday will go to the Ottawa Sexual Assault Support Centre. Ottawa Citizen online Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitari Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 Bravo Dave! Way to plug just about everything about the scene...the venues, the music, the creativity! Good job! (And nice pic too!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.Huxtable Posted March 21, 2003 Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 Agreed. That's a great article. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted March 21, 2003 Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 Super article Dave-o. Could the picture of you and Egan have taken up any more space in the citizen today? What did you have to do to get such spread? I hope your dignity is still intact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave-O Posted March 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2003 I certainly was not expecting a picture that size! It may be helpful to thank the Ottawa Citizen for supporting our burgeoning little music scene. (that line about beards, bellbottoms and backpacks cracks me up ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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