If the world existed entirely in the scope of peace – war was nonexistent, there were no troubles for the weary, and good fortunes found good people – the globe would be universally appreciating the music of The String Cheese Incident (SCI). But, is the world ready for another jam band?
Unfortunately, the term “jam band” is readily available and yet not widely adopted by SCI band members. People who love the art of musical collaboration and ingenuity will enjoy String Cheese on many levels. Here’s the secret: they aren’t just a jam band. And, they’re not just a band.
String Cheese falls far from the norm. A troupe of five performers with differing backgrounds and talents find a balance to produce a great sound: a sound that’s simple, appealing and comfortable. SCI reinvents the wheel during every visit to the recording studio. Later, their masterful and innovative creation must be sealed behind an average CD case and marketed among the boring “muck” shoveled onto the shelves of today’s music outlets.
Coincidently, band members Michael Kang (acoustic/electric mandolin and violin), Michael Travis (percussion), Billy Nershi (acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, and electric slide guitar), Kyle Hollingsworth (piano, organ, Rhodes and accordion), Keith Moseley (bass guitar) and Jason Hann (auxiliary percussionist) enjoy the outdoors. It inspires their songwriting and enlightens their lifestyle – so much so that they try to perform outside as much as possible.
When Snowshoe Magazine asked members about their perspective on the outdoors and the band’s desire to perform in unique venues, Billy Nershi said, “That’s our church: the outdoors and the wilderness.”
Photographer, Jay Scherer on The String Cheese Incident:
I first experienced The String Cheese Incident while I was living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1999. They were part of a traveling tour called Summer Sessions, which included Moe, Gov’t Mule and Galactic. Because I had seen the other bands before, String Cheese was the only group I didn’t know much about. However, after that show, one thing was clear to me: these guys were really, really good.
Since then I have been to more than 30 “Incidents” in several states and each time I see them perform, I am highly impressed. What keeps me going back is their ability to keep things fresh. They have been able to seamlessly transition into different genres of music while constantly improving. Whether playing rock, bluegrass, folk, country or reggae, they always seem to sound tighter than the last time I saw them.
And, more than any other band in the jamband/improvisational scene, they are not afraid to try new things, both in their music and while on stage. I have seen them play with so many other artists: Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction), Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule), Bruce Hornsby, and Billy Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead) to name a few. This illustrates that they’ve earned the respect of not only their fans within the jam community, but also of their peers.
I think the other great thing about SCI is the people you see at their shows. Even if you aren’t into all of their music, you can always chill in the back and watch people run around climbing the walls while dressed in some insane costumes. Always entertaining, always different, String Cheese is truly one of the most unique bands on the scene today.
