Lotus Brings Trance-Fusion to Historic Capitol Theatre April 10, 2018 13:06

Words by Kenny Cunningham: Live & Listen

Photos by Angelys Ocana: Good People Bad Habits

On Saturday night, April 7th, Philly-based Lotus brought their unique sound of dance grooves, EDM, and funky guitar rhythms to Port Chester’s historic Capitol Theatre. The Cap is such a great space for a band like Lotus, as the inside of the theater provides an excellent backdrop for the light show that accompanies the band’s music. Lotus is well-known for their unique sound, one that has few “rivals” in today’s jamtronica scene. They have become recognized for their late-night festival sets, but also for their fun, dancey, groovy style.

The show opened up with L’Immeuble, and then dropped right into “Wax,” one of their most popular jam vehicles. Luke and Jesse Miller had a lot of fun on the keys and sampler during this song, as Mike Rempel provided his typically-stellar guitar playing. The first set continued with some other Lotus classics, like “Suitcases and Sandwiches,” which the band started, went into another song, and then came back and closed the first set out with the outro. The energy inside the Cap was high, as the crowd was dancing and grooving throughout the first set. The lighting rig added an interesting element, as it helped accentuate some of the darker and funkier jams.

The second set opened with “Inspector Norse,” and the crowd got right back into the action, as Luke Miller went into a super tight keyboard jam. And then on a full-on dance party broke out during “Shimmer and Out” and “Contagion.” Repel provided some soaring guitar solos during the latter, and Mike Greenfield got involved with some dark and driving drum playing.

The band must’ve been having as much fun as the crowd, as they announced after their closing song of the second set that they would be staying on-stage for the encore, as they were running out of their allotted time. They closed the night out with “Midwest Store Fronts,” and the Northeast crowd was able to go home with tired feet and smiles on their faces.