String Cheese thoughts ....

[kung]

Way to taste the waste MK. I am deeply touched by all of the hatred. I'm rocking out at the office to Hall & Oates and started thinking 'hey alot of people think these guys are majorly cheesy but I love them maybe I should lighten up'. In short fuck that noise (the Cheese noise I mean). The difference is that Darryl and John can ACTUALLY sing, harmonize and emote. Also they are playing very well written pop songs, likely overly sentimental but well executed. Add to that the fact that they've surrounded themselves with the tightest studio musicians Philly has to offer. Next episode we'll discuss why the Cheese should cover Toto's Africa, why that is actually a good song that will last as opposed to any of their songs and why the keyboard solo is one of the greatest in rock lite history.

[jon.]

Holy Shit Kung!!!

I have always felt that you had interesting and amusing arguments - if not slightly bitter - but now, no kung, no you can't really be towing the Hall and Oates line...noooooooo.

Hey, who the fuck cares about the Cheese...you just ventured into dangerous waters, all of my respect for your other-than-jamband picks have been thrown into doubt....she's a maneater...no kung no!!!

My morning has been sent into a serious spin....kung,of the well thought out and eloquently written argument, has been drawn into the 80's mire that is Hall & Oates, The cheese is light and fluffy with no real hard hitting, song writing substance, but they can play......oh god, not Hall & Ooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaa..........

Just thinking about those dudes gives me that "picking the crumbs of crack out of the shag carpet" feeling...It's too early, more than I can handle...........

Sorry I've regained my composure now...i'm sure you will have many more joyous moments with H&O, and maybe also Cindi Lauper, or The Parachute Club....by all means skip the Cheese.

[MarcO]

"I am deeply touched by all of the hatred."

That is beautiful [wiping away tears]. Just beautiful!

Thanks!

[mark tonin]

Thanks for the posts in response to my initial one. I learn a lot and think about a lot from what people have to say in the Sanctuary.

New Rider ... I agree with you about the "space hogs" ... it is one thing to bring out the hoola hoops, juggling toys, etc. when outside at an amphitheatre with lots of room, but a drag to take up lots of space with them in a packed venue. Although sometimes perhaps I'm a "space hog" when I get my arms and legs whirling ...

Kung ... I don't always agree with your opinion on things, or on the way that you express your opinion, and I know that you love to stir it up, but I do agree that people have the right to an opinion on anything, including an opinion on a band that they have never seen live. Having said that, in my opinion your opinion would hold more water if it wasn't so harsh and critical and over-the-top. But hey, you do have a way of getting people fired up, and I definitely have some laughs when I read what you say ... lots of bait on the hooks that you use!!!

MK ... what can I say ... we've talked about your view on SCI before, and I totally respect your opinion on the matter. You were into probably into SCI before I even knew who they were. Hopefully the Toronto show will make you a fan again, because I know if you walk away saying it was a good show, I'm going to be thinking "man that was one kick-ass awesome show!" I tend to be a full-on positive happy-go-lucky everything is cool and fun sort of person, or at least that's what I usually express, and you have a much more critical mind and are more willing to freely express what is pissing you off, and somewhere in the middle is a healthy balance ... at least that's my "always looking at the bright side of things" opinion on the matter

Wow, that was a bit of a thought spew ... time to play some guitar.

Peace, Mark

[CyberHippie]

quote:

---

As another aside: I had major issues with SCI Ticketing on several occasions, which just made it that much easier to say, nah...not anymore.

---

I agree with ya there, why are tickets more expensive through SCI ticketing than TicketBastard? That's total crap!

That Lee's palace show was SICK!

[LSD25]

SCI was the first jam band I ever saw (Toronto 2001)... and they blew me away, and I am really excited to see whether 2 years later whether they will do it again.

[MoMack]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MK:

I've seen them three times and have all of their CDs (except the new one) I have also spent many hours trapped in cars driven by people insisting on listening to all 3 CDs from one of those live releases. Once, maybe two years ago, I really liked them. Right now I really don't like them at all. I think their sound is the litest, flakiest, whitest, most stagnant and derivitive fluff out there.

I'm pumped for the Toronto show though. No matter how cheesy or skilled a jamband is, it's all about the crowd. The three SCI shows I've seen (the first one blew me away and the other two just blew) all had huge, way-cool, clean crowds of people having kick-ass times...can't wait!

---

And one can never underestimate the power of the hula-hooping hotties!

[MK]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that...thanks MoMack...those clean crowds are split nicely 50:50 with hotties...

[Esau]

I have seen em once and to be honest that was one too many times, they did nothing for me,granted the music isnt shit or anything like that,but I just dont have a taste for SCI.I love bluegrass,jam..even some trance,but not SCI.

Ok,I did have a long rambling explanation on my above comments,then thought...nah,wont mean a thing,since I am not a fan of them.There was many other things I wanted to touch on,alot that I agreed with,Kung said.

Just dont want a repeat of when I mentioned that Phish was not one of the bands I listen to.

Either way,I do not dispute their talent (either band) and in the end its all personal taste,which I find in this scene is somtimes frowned upon when you dont like want everyone else does.Especially whenit comes to SCI or Phish.

My two cents.

Enjoy the show folks & have fun.

I'll be at JSB the night of the Montreal show.

See ya'll at the Slip Montreal though.

[kung]

Just for a little bonus round action. This is some of my favourite shit mind you. The Hall & Oates thing is legit, I mean I actually dig them hard. Partly because it was the first show I saw period and it was at Massey Hall acoustic and my dad took me. But I was trying to antagonize by giving an example of something that most people would think laughable while others structure their lives around it. The point is valid though- history will remember Hall & Oates much more than it will remember the Cheese. But meaning is where you find it and what you invest in it and alot of people invest alot in the Cheese. Trying to distinguish between a zinfandel slugging housewife in Virginia sobbing over Rich Girl and a glass pipe toting corduroy boy getting his Best Feeling is admittedly sort of pointless. But since Jon wants to put The Darryl and The John in the same boat as the Parachute Club and Cyndi Lauper I'd like to say that even the latter's song (hell Phil Collins version) True Colours is a more lasting testament, a more powerfully written song then I've ever heard the STRING CHEESE INCIDENT (is that actually the name of a fucking band) render. Don't think that this point is lost on Billy Nershi and Kyle when their whacking of in their beds at night wishing they could write ONE ONE ONE song of the calibre of She's Gone or Sara Smile.

quote:

---

You with the sad eyes

don't be discouraged

oh I realize

it's hard to take courage

in a world full of people

you can lose sight of it all

and the darkness inside you

can make you feel so small

But I see your true colours

shining through

I see your true colours

and that's why I love you

so don't be afraid to let them show

your true colours

true colours are beautiful

like a rainbow

Show me a smile then

don't be unhappy, can't remember

when I last saw you laughing

if this world makes you crazy

and you've taken all you can bear

you call me up

because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colours

shining through

I see your true colours

and that's why I love you

so don't be afraid to let them show

your true colours

true colours are beautiful

like a rainbow

---

I see Mark, I see MK, I see Esau and I see you too. I see all my friends on Romper Room. Your true colours are beautiful like a rainbow.

[blip]

o god.

not this, please.

don't look at songwriting - so many bands could take many an SCI song and make it death-defyingly special

that's not what makes improvised music enjoyable

don't put cheese against cheese

I've read through most of the posts, and I've seen the band (up CLOSE) and I find it surprising that the BOOTY of any decent band is not mentioned here

the rhythm section and the sonic dynamics are missing (here, there and everywhere)

no bass prowess, no drum diverseness, and no bottom end on any soloing front (does any of Kanger's shit go below middle "C"?)

this (to me) means a lot of people unfamiliar with "what's going on" (which seems to be verrry important at SCI shows) will be left staring around waiting for something exciting and MOVING to happen

I too like Hall and Oates more than SCI, but who gives a shit, really? She's Gone is certainly a moving song, but not live (by them, anyways)

[tigger]

Can't wait for thanksgiving weekend ,SCI one of my favorites.Yahoooooo!

[John Stamos]

Hmmm....nice thread Tonin.

SCI resume:

State Theatre (Portland, ME.) June 1998

Lee's Palace (T.O.) in Fall 1999

Summer Session (Boston) in summer 1999

Guvernment (T.O.) in 2000

Berkfest Summer 2000

Buffalo & Albany Fall 2000

I really used to love this band. The first time I actually heard them was on a Maxell XLII on route to the Hoodoo Bash which most of us were (primarily) going to see moe for the first or second time. SCI and Strangefolk were also on the bill. It was a great time (seems like a long time ago now).

SCI had the opening set, followed by moe, then SF. I really came out of the show digging moe and SCI on about the same level. They rocked!

Then some of us folks in the know were lucky enough to catch the Cheese @ Lee's Palace...what a show/time that was!! That was what I think the high point of their 'old' sound. It was their older style that really made me dig this band. The mid 90s to 97-99..it was thankfully different.

I followed them after that b/c their shows were just a whole dam lot of fun, with alot of great fans (which, I really thought at the time that the Phish scene was getting worse on a tour by tour basis ...really negative/too many fans strung out on too many (and progressively harder and harder) drugs/etc etc.... That was my take.

But by Fall 2000 I just about had it with their 'new sound' ... their originality (what really drew me into cheesedom in the first place) in my opinion went out the window ... as did my interest.

[Thankfully moe kicked my ass all over: Toronto 99 & 2000, Berkfest 2000, Albany 2000 and many times since from Vancouver to Sugarloaf)...so I really took advantage of the phish hiatus by catching moe alot. ]

I'm getting off topic though. I'd go see SCI if they came nearby but I wouldn't go out my way to catch a show.

As another aside: I had major issues with SCI Ticketing on several occasions, which just made it that much easier to say, nah...not anymore.

I guess I'm in the same boat as MarcO with the whole 'passive about SCI' and 'somewhat lacking in real sunstance'. I'm right there too man.

Final aside: It's tought b/c you have to give bands room to grow and experiment. I guess that's what I did in 2000 with the Cheese, but after a while its just ... you like it or you don't.

Kudos to all you Cheeseheads.....its easier for me to get Phish tickets when I decide I want to get my mind blown.

Stamos