Not since the the Grateful Dead has a jam band developed the kind of cult following that The String Cheese Incident had throughout the late eighties, nineties, and up until this past summer. Based out of the hippy capital of the world, Boulder, Colorado, a brilliant group exploded onto the american folk music scene in the late 1980's. What separated Cheese from other bluegrass/folk groups of the time was the use of keyboards, electric guitars, and sound effects. This put The String Cheese Incident into a sort of genre that had a bluegrass feel to it, but definately had that "far out" sort of sound to it. I had the pleasure of witnessing an incident for my first time in 2002, my freshman year in high school. Never had I seen so many dreadlocks, VW buses, and Colorado plates all in one place at one time. There were people selling necklaces, food, clothes, and art just to afford their next ticket. Not to mention the next gas fill so they could make it to the next stop on the tour. This particular show in Chicago was a two day event, and at first I had no intention on attending both nights. After the first song on the first night, I had already made up my mind...the second night could not be missed. So low and behold, my passion for The String Cheese Incident was born. The music is joyful and upbeat. For me, it is very difficult to listen to Cheese without feeling the urge to stand up and dance around. Although the age group that Cheese appeals to is primarily between the ages of 16-30, it is without a doubt music for all ages. I have seen plenty of hippy children sitting on the shoulders of their parents, clapping their hands and singing along to the happy rythms of The String Cheese Incident. The String Cheese Incident is without a doubt my all-time favorite band. Unfortunately this summer, after fourteen years, The String Cheese Incident decided to say farewell and put an end to a hell of a ride that they've been maintaining for so long. Although Cheese is done, all the members are still making music in various side projects, all of which I have seen first hand. If you dig Cheese, make sure to come back next week and I will get some posts up about the side projects.
1 comment:
I fucking love string cheese!!! (excuse my language) I am really sad they are no more though, but man did they have a good run. I totally agree with you that it's hard to listen and not dance. It also makes me want to hula-hoop a little, which makes me sound slightly like a hippy i know, but i cant help it. I wanted to go the Big Summer Classic (because it was in missouri, im from there, and it was the last time they played there), but alas, there were various obstacles that made it impossible for me to go. :( What's your favorite song? Mine is definitely Mauna Bowa, but I also like jellyfish... mainly for the "rum, drinkin. thumb, hitchin" part. I love that you actually wrote about them and know who they are. I try to talk to so many people about string cheese and am met with blank stares or "oh yeah! that stuff is so good!" And great job actually explaining them, so the people who dont know can be thoroughly and accurately informed!
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