Lotus lights up Minneapolis

Philadelphia, PA based electronic jamband, Lotus, played to a small but energetic crowd at the main room of First Avenue on Sunday, November 6th.  Keys n Krates, a three-piece from Toronto, Canada was also on the bill, as was local dj, Skytree, who got things started.

As Skytree mixed a redundantly slow and bass-pumping set on his laptop and boards, the floor of First Avenue was sparse, with concert-goers dotting the edges of the room seemingly waiting for it to be over.  After the curtain dropped on Skytree, Keys n Krates hit the stage and the dance floor instantly filled.  The trio pounded out a rapid set of interesting pop mixes, including using a chopped up sample of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” towards the end.  They mixed keys, bone-rattling drums, and turntables with ease, and it was refreshing hearing actual records being scratched.

By the time Lotus hit the stage, First Avenue was half-full leaving ample room for the crowd to get their groove on.  And that they did.  Lotus’ set quickly showed how experienced these guys were working together.  The instrumental rock they played flowed across multiple genres, never displaying what was structured and what was improvisation.  All night the crowd bounced along as the band didn’t let up.

Lotus sounded great, ebbing with colorful textures and dynamic ranges, but they never strayed far from that middle ground that kept everyone dancing.  It also never felt drawn out or too jammy, but rather the tunes felt smooth and the segues seemed completely natural.  And with a gorgeous lighting setup, it was just as entertaining to watch.  Their lighting person is the obvious sixth-man on their roster, which is an integral piece of the band’s live arsenal.  Lotus put on a fine show, and the small but dedicated crowd that was in attendance was there for a reason.

Lotus

Keys N Krates

Skytree