Being a basic college town, Charlottesville has its fair share of jam bands touring through it. With a few notable exceptions, the jam band genre often conjures up the same response: "Don't these guys sound just like a Phish/Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers imitator?"
But ekoostik hookah, performing at Trax Thursday night, though heavily influenced by the pioneers of their genre, have a unique sound and story to tell, making them anything but your average jam band.
"It's hard to say what makes us different once it's all put together," says hookah guitarist, keyboardist and songwriter Dave Katz as he attempts to answer the perennial jam band challenge: what sets you apart from other groups?
At first glance, their history seems to be that of the average hard-working band. They have toured all over the United States (and even Jamaica last year) and have gained a strong fan following based upon the strength of their live show. During their sets, they've been known to improvise for long periods of time, making each performance distinct from all others.
"When we go out to play, we play off the crowd," Katz explained. "We don't go up with a set list, we try to orchestrate a set."
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These traits aside, many aspects of ekoostik hookah set them apart and define their unique perspective. Formed near Columbus, Ohio, all the band members were musical kids, with some having taken on music lessons since age five. Their bassist, Cliff Starbuck, alone plays seven distinct instruments.
Their musical style reflects influences from the Allman Brothers to Santana, mixing the rhythms of jazz, rock, Latin music and bluegrass into their musical style.
In addition, since their inception in 1991, they have controlled all aspects of their own distribution and music, selling 90,000 records to date through their own Acoustic Productions.
"It's a challenge," Katz said, but went on to add, "we have all the control, and that's pretty much what we're after."
In addition to touring, ekoostik hookah also puts on a well-known festival called "Hookahville" every year in the rural Ohio foothills. This year's festival will present the likes of mandolin and guitar player David Grisman and Ratdog, band of former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir.
Steve Hager, the editor of High Times Magazine, has called Hookahville "the coolest place on Earth." That is definitely high praise, given that the magazine is one of the most influential voices in the world of jam bands.
The past week has seen ekoostik hookah traverse the Eastern seaboard. On Friday night, they had a show in Cincinnati; they had just played in Nashville the night before. And when they arrive at Trax on Thursday, it won't be the first time they have played in Charlottesville.
"The [Outback] Lodge was a lot of fun," Katz recalled, referring to a past trip to the local venue. In addition, they have played at Trax three times, so they are no strangers to the scene.
When ekoostik hookah passes through Trax this week, it essentially will be another ordinary stop on the road for this traveling band. However, when fans venture out to see their show this week, they can expect anything but an ordinary jam band, as ekoostik hookah brings their unique music and point of view to the Trax stage.
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