Umphrey's McGee, MOE., et Lotus

Formed at the University of Notre Dame in December 1997 by guitarist/vocalist Brendan Bayliss, bassist Ryan Stasik, keyboardist Joel Cummins, and drummer Mike Mirro, Umphrey's McGee combined members of Tashi Station and Stomper Bob, two Notre Dame rock bands. Early concerts consisted of both original material and cover songs by bands such as Guns N' Roses, Phish and The Grateful Dead. The final line up was established by 2001 and the band then began practicing intense improvisational exercises, one of their most successful taking place in a hotel in the Jimmy Stewart Ballroom so they later named their onstage improvisational excursions Jimmy Stewart.

Their first major release came in June 2002 and was titled 'Local Band Does OK', that summer the first annual Bonnaroo Music Festival took place and the band played to their largest crowd to date. The band sold more CDs than any other artist on a bill that included Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio, and Norah Jones. In 2003 the band toured extensively, logging over 150 shows for the year before releasing 'Anchor Drops' in 2004 which was recorded all over California. They appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside Huey Lewis in 2006 to support their next release 'Safety In Numbers' which was their first album to break the US Billboard top 200 and peaked top twenty on the US Indie chart.

That year they featured at most of the major US festivals playing in total 129 shows for the year before a three-night stand in Chicago for New Year's Eve. The band continued to develop their complex and ever changing live show. In 2010, the band debuted UMBowl, an interactive concert in 4 sets each with a different themes. Ticket purchasers are sent ballots to vote for the selections for two quarters, while the other two quarters are based upon interactive text submissions/votes.

moe. have had a remarkable career, laying down their exquisite grooves and jams for over three decades, producing an incredible discography of 24 albums. Featuring Al Schnier (guitars, vocals), Chuck Garvey (guitars/vocals), Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Jim Loughlin (percussion, vibes) and Vinnie Amico (drums), the members are all incredibly talented musicians, with this acknowledged by various music magazines including Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Drum Magazine and Bass Player. The band released their initial records independently, on their label, Fatboy Records, although since 2012, they have made releases on the Sugar Hill imprint.

The band began life in 1989, when after encouragement from a friend, they performed at a small bar for a halloween show. A year later, they began to pursue the act seriously, going on to release their debut album in 1992, titled "Fatboy." Since their debut, they have gone from strength to strength, releasing a steady stream of albums to a positive reception, as well as embarking on extensive tours and becoming favorites on the nation's festival circuit. Despite playing as a band for 30 years, they continued to release critically acclaimed albums, including 2012's "What Happened to the La Las" and 2014's "No Guts, No Glory." If anything, there long career has seen their musicianship develop to impressive heights.

moe. have released several live albums, reflecting their astounding performances at venues around the world, including the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Paris and the UK. They have headlined several festivals, including Bonnaroo, Burg Herzberg and Fuji Rock Festival, as well as curating their own Summer Camp festival. They have shared the stage with the likes of the Allman Brothers, Dave Matthews Band, The Who, Robert Plant, Blues Traveler and Government Mule, constantly being at the forefront of the music scene for over three decades.

Influences of classic electronic dance music, funk, post-rock and dance-rock have all made their way into the Lotus sound. Over the years, their unique musical blend of electronica with jam music has helped forge a new path in the jamband landscape, influencing many younger bands in the scene.

The long-running quintet have returned in 2020 with Free Swim, their new studio album out independently August 21st, which pays homage to the greats of music’s past, built on the bones of what the five members of Lotus listen to and have absorbed over time. In similar fashion to the old-school way of making mixtapes on cassette, where the best always managed to surprise with each new song while still sharing a similar DNA, the 10 songs on Free Swim are not boxed in by any genre or tonal palette, but the shared molecular grid is joy and wonder. It’s an eclectic and groovy instrumental mix of funk, disco, jazz and psychedelia, packed with catchy melodies and killer grooves looking to bring happiness to listeners.

“Luke named the track ‘Free Swim’ and I thought it also made a great album name,” explains Jesse. “Free swim can be read a couple of different ways, but I think both can apply to Lotus’s music. The first brings me back to childhood when my mom would drive myself and four brothers to the public pool. The free swim time was pure, unrestrained joy as we soared off the diving boards and burned off excess energy swimming for hours in the summers. The second reading is becoming free while swimming. I picture the feeling of weightlessness in open water in some beautiful, remote location. When we write for Lotus, we try to use the energy of a live show to guide our arrangements. I always hope it can take people to a place that feels joyous, energized and free.”

Free Swim mines dance grooves from soulful funk to dirty disco to build instrumental songs with a signature Lotus sound. The album, the follow-up to the band’s 2018 audio and video album experience Frames Per Second and 10th full-length studio album overall, not including their multiple live, EP and remix collections, was written and produced by the group’s Jesse and Luke Miller and recorded in early 2020 at Spice House Sound in Philadelphia. Free Swim opens with lead single “Catacombs,” inviting listeners to descend into the depths of groovy-funky jazz. From “Catacombs” to the vintage funk of “Sepia Rainbow” and “Earl of Grey” and the head-bopping cosmic disco tune “Bjorn Gets A Haircut,” Free Swim will make you want to move.

The first incarnation of Lotus (including Luke Miller and Mike Rempel) came together for a music showcase in 1998 at Goshen College in Indiana. In the summer of 1999, Jesse Miller joined, and the band began writing and performing on a regular basis. Albums such as their debut studio release, Nomad (2006) have become a touchstone for how to organically fuse elements of electronica with jam music. Now two decades together, Lotus has toured actively throughout the US working their way up from dingy basement clubs to world-class venues such as Red Rocks. They've become festival favorites, playing everything from Bonnaroo, Camp Bisco and Outside Lands to Ultra Music Festival and Electric Forest, building a hyper-loyal following along the way. The band also hosts their own annual SummerDance Festival in Garrettsville, Ohio. A Lotus live show is an experience, a uniquely crafted and improvised set taking everyone, the crowd and band, on a journey.