Catching Up With Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident March 4, 2021 22:35

Well Kyle, it's great to have a few minutes to speak with you today. I typically always start these interviews off with some history and background info. Tell me a little bit about how this journey started back in Baltimore.

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Kyle: Sure. So, Baltimore...essentially, we're below the Mason-Dixon Line. We're kind of in the South, but not quite. I can relate to the community, and those sticky summer nights where it's so hot you just have to keep the fans on. I lived right by the water. I would go downtown to the inner harbor and see music when I could. At that point, everything was 21 and up. I'd stand outside some of the club and listen to some of the bands coming through. Who would those bands have been? It may have been a little early for ARU and Spin Doctors. Maybe it was around that time, but I'd go listen outside of the door. 

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I also started studying at that point. I wanted to be a rock and roll guy. I grew up listening to music. I was a child actor for a little while, but I was also a bit nervous when it came to auditions. So, I was said "Forget that. What else can I do to be on stage?" I knew I could practice piano forever, so studied as much as I could. I realized that I needed more chops, so I went to college and studied jazz piano in Baltimore.

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I was then finally old enough to start playing the clubs I would visit when I was younger. It was awesome and just so much fun. We weren't old enough to drink yet, probably 19 or 20, but we'd get ushered in. My first band was called Black Friday. There was a bit of a punk scene in Baltimore and DC at that time. I wasn't that into punk, but I liked the edge that it brought. It was loud and had a lot of energy. Black Friday had some of those punk elements while also being highly improvisational. 

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So, that band did pretty well. We'd get to play the clubs, but we couldn't hang out because of our age. We had a good following though, so everyone would still come see us. We just had to dip out the back door after. We worked through that, and that's how I got started. At that point, my brother was really into the Grateful Dead, so I listened to a lot of those tapes with Brent Mydland on keys. Some of The Doors stuff for sure. Then there was all the stuff in the pop world, like The Cars. At some point, I discovered The Talking Heads. They came out with "Burning Down the House," and I was just like, "Wow, that's so cool!" That led me to some of the more trippy albums like Remain in Light. 

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At some point, I was probably 23 or 24, and I'd kind of done the Baltimore thing. I decided I was going to move to Colorado and see what's happening there. I originally went out there to be a forest ranger. I quickly realized I was a little better at playing music, so I put my focus there. I played with local bands like Lakewood Sunshine and Durt, who ended up opening for The String Cheese Incident. I sat in with String Cheese, and I've been sitting in ever since (laughs).

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At that point, I'm assuming the band was just Billy (Nershi), (Michael) Travis, Keith (Moseley), and (Michael) Kang?

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Kyle: Yes. They were just newly formed. I joined the band in 1998, and they had just started a few years priors. The band had relocated from the Crestview/Telluride area to Boulder. There was definitely a buzz about them, but they were still pretty new to the scene. It was mainly Dave Watts, the drummer from The Motet. He and I were playing in a band together, and Kang came and sat in. He invited me to come check out his band (String Cheese). I was like, "What kind of name is that? Who names a band The String Cheese Incident. I don't know if I can join a band with a name like that." (laughs)

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I think everyone who has ever heard the band name has had that initial reaction...to some extent. (laughs)

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Kyle: Exactly. 

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Well things must have really taken off quickly from there. You guys released the Carnival album in 1999, right?

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Kyle: Right. So yeah, I believe I joined in 1998. They had only been a band for a handful of years at this point. Carnival '99 came out, and the funny thing about that time is that I was listening to Bela Fleck's Flight of the Cosmic Hippo and Spin Doctors, and the HORDE Tour comes around. HORDE stood for "horizons of rock developing everywhere." Bela was on that, and he had a great keyboard player named Hank Levy in that band. By Carnival '99, we were going to festivals and meeting these people that I thought I could be playing with. I had this vision of wanting to play with these guys. It moved very quickly, as you said. All of the sudden, by 1999, I was actually hanging out with people, even the Grateful Dead guys, and I'm just like, "What?! I guess this was the right choice. Forget Forestry!" (laughs).

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Watch Kyle Hollingsworth's new cover of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" here:

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Wow. Yeah, I can imagine how exciting and even overwhelming that was at the time. You were clearly a major reason why the band continued to progress. Not to get too off topic here, but I wanted to at least touch on the band's relationship with Keller Williams. I basically discovered Cheese and Keller around the same time (2001-2002), and I know the roots run deep there. How did that relationship ultimately come together? 

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Kyle: Yeah, so Keller is a Virginia guy, and I think he had seen the band before. He may have been a fan, to some degree. I'm trying to think of the very first person he met. Maybe Keith or Travis? One of those guys. It's just one of those things. We've known him for so long. It's hard to remember the origin story. I'm curious to hear what he would have to say. He would follow us around, and at some point, we saw how well he played and wrote, so we invited him to start opening for us. He started opening all of our shows all over the country. It just started growing and growing for him. He has great ambition, so he asked us to record an album (Breathe) with him. He brought us all of the songs with all of his tricky chord changes, and it was really a whole lot of fun.

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I remember seeing him sit in on Evolution DVD and have always loved the Breathe album. It was a really neat thing to witness the camaraderie between you guys as a young music fan. One other random question I have is regarding Robert Hunter. I know you had a chance to do some writing with him at some point. Can you elaborate on that?

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Kyle: Yes I did. I did a tune called "45th of November" with him. So, you know, there's always been that West Coast vs. East Coast thing. Not like the whole hip hop rap battle, but when you think of the east coast, you think of Phish and bands that are a little more rockin'. You think Umphrey's...well at least east of the Mississippi. There was also moe. from Buffalo. We were kind of this other group that was a little more exploratory and ok with open spaces. Willing to take dives into beautiful sounds and a little less heavy.

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So, The Grateful Dead was in a similar camp to us.  We were more West Coast in that way. We started connecting with those guys, almost immediately. Mountain Girl, John Barlow, and all of those folks were kind of gravitating to us being a similar vibe to the Dead. This is somewhere during the 1999-2002 era. So then, through that, Barlow started writing some stuff with Kang and Billy. Robert (Hunter) had reached out, because he had heard about us, and asked if anyone wanted to write. I immediately put my hand up and said, "I got this." 

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I definitely tried to write this song in a way that the Grateful Dead would've written something to kind of connect with him. It has this middle section that's kind of like "The Other One," so he was all about it. The connection was very unique in the fact that it was all cyber. I met him once backstage at The Greek Theatre, I think. He asked me to send him an mp3, so I did, and he sent me back the lyrics. I said, "Well, I can try to sing like this. This word is a little weird. Can I change it?" He said, "No. All of the words are perfect. You just need to change how you're singing it." (laughs)

 

So I said, "Ok. That's fair. You've written tons of incredible songs." He then said "How about this? At 1:30, you sing this line. Then at 1:36, you sing you can sing the next word." It was very specific, and I got it, but it wasn't a collab in the traditional sense of going back and forth.

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I guess that's not entirely shocking to hear. "45th of November" was released on One Step Closer in 2005, right?

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Kyle: Correct.

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Listen to The String Cheese Incident's "45th of November" here:

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Let's shift our focus and touch on what this past year has been like for you. You guys grind so hard with touring and festivals throughout the year. Ironically, you released a new EP called 2020 about a month before the world shut down. What was the realization like for you as life as we know it was put on hold? 

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Kyle: That was my fourth solo release. In hindsight, I probably should've called it 2021. So, yeah...I had a whole bunch of things on the books. I had dates with my band. I had some stuff with Everyone Orchestra. The funny thing is that we had just hit 25 years of String Cheese. We stopped in December of 2019, because we wanted to take a break for six months. I was already prepared for at least a little bit of a break. I planned on taking classical piano lessons and doing all kinds of personal stuff during my break.

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To answer your question though, for the first few months, I was still being really creative. I was finding ways to get to my musical outlet through virtual lessons and even picking up a different instrument. I was playing the ukulele. Just diving into some growing things. I thought about doing some music for television. As it wore on, the spark started dimming by June or so. You see Trey (Anastasio) putting out like three albums. I was like, "Well, that could've been me if I kept my spirit up" (laughs). Towards the end, I was kind of getting dragged down a bit. It's gotten better in recent months, but for a while, I was down about it. 

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The cool thing is that about halfway through the summer, my solo band started playing some outdoor shows. The performance alone can really invigorate you. Never mind that there are only 150 people there versus 3000 people. You're just psyched to be playing on stage in front of people. That really gave me a breath of new life. But yeah, it was a tricky time to release a new album. I know there are thousands of other musicians who released albums in 2020. It was supposed to be a great year. 2020! New birth! 

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No kidding. I know it's a little trickier when it comes to String Cheese. You've got such a massive, dedicated fan base. It's damn near impossible to pull off a socially distanced show with a band of this magnitude, and why would you even try if it could put anyone in harm's way? How has the band continued to stay engaged and interact with each other?

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Kyle: Two things about that. The funny thing is that my solo band has been able to play many of the venues String Cheese would normally play, like Dillon Amphitheatre. It's really ironic that I've gotten to play so many of these same venues, with the exception of Red Rocks, to about hundred people with my band. As far as the connection, I've been able to consistently get together with Keith and Jason, especially over the last few months. We've been doing some writing, and Jason is a really great teacher. We've been working on rhythm lessons and improvisational stuff. Kang lives in California, and Travis is in upstate New York. It's been challenging to get everyone in one place.

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Everyone's been immersed in their family life, and of course traveling on planes has been a risk. Billy has been spending most of his time in Hawaii. So, whoever is around locally has been getting together. Jason has a place here in Boulder, and he visits about once a month. Keith and I get together every week. We're actually getting together tomorrow. It's more about writing, but also just hanging out and being a brother again. 

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With String Cheese, I think the big thing for us, which is difficult for me at times, we want to make sure what we come out with is the best possible quality. We were a little hesitant to play random drive-ins. We might play one, but we want to make sure the social distancing isn't an awkward thing for everyone. We'd rather not go to Red Rocks and play for 150 people. We'd rather wait til Red Rocks can be at least half full, so we can really bring the energy and the spirit. So for me, there have been times where I was ready to get out and do it. Collectively, we would rather wait until we can do it right, which I respect. 

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Stream Kyle Hollingsworth's EP 2020 here:

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As a fan, I respect that as well. I know there is tremendous pressure from the fans, as the band's touring schedule plays such a major role in so many people's lives. You guys have worked your asses off to get to this point in your career. We have to respect the decision you guys have made to wait this thing out and get back to it when things can be done right.

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Kyle: Ok, good. That's really great to hear you say, and it makes sense to me too. It's just a matter of time before we can all get together again. In the meantime, we're just doing everything we can to be prepared for that time.

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I almost forgot to ask: how's the brewing going? I'm guessing you've had plenty of time work on your other hobbies as well.

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Kyle: The funny thing is that I really haven't been brewing much at all. That doesn't mean I'm drinking less beer though. I did make one. I have a solo show coming up on Sunday, March 7th at The Boulder Theater. It's my first solo show since summer. Everyone will be able to tune into the stream. My birthday is this week, so it's my birthday show, and I decided to make a beer with ska. I wanted to go for a bit of an old school West Coast IPA. A lot of people are doing hazys right now, but I wanted to try something more traditional. Something with a dry hop, but also a little bit of bittering. 

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We'll see how it goes. Making beer and making music, you kind of jump in with both feet, and you're never quite sure how it's going to come out. The yeast is going to do what it's going to do, and then it's going to be great, or it's like the best solo you've ever taken, or the worst beer you've ever made. The point being that you should just go for it. It's a lot of fun. I'm going to try it tomorrow for my birthday. The idea was to have a beer that people could go to and watch the live streams. You go get your growler, join me, and I'll drink a beer with everyone online. It will be available for those who get to attend the show as well. 

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Amazing. Well, let me be the first to go ahead and say "Happy Birthday." I can't thank you enough for taking the time to chat with me today. I hope the Sunday shows make for a great birthday celebration, and I can't wait to finally get a chance to see you and the band play again before too long.

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Kyle: Thanks so much Jordan. My pleasure.

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Watch Umphrey's McGee Perform "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" At Hulaween October 27, 2017 11:20

Photo by Craig Baird: Home Team Photography

Hulaween, the weekend so many have been waiting for all year, got its 'unofficial' start last night as its truly ridiculous 'pre-party' began. With the variety of Joe Russo's Almost Dead x2 , Greensky Bluegrass, Lettuce, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Spafford, and Zach Deputy on tap, the vibe at Suwannee felt like the weekend was in full force. Oh yeah, did we mention two sets Umphrey's McGee, as well? Well, that happened too. One of the evenings many highlights came in the form of a 20-minute cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" late during UM's second set. Fortunately, HD video footage has surfaced via Live For Live Music and can be watched in full below!

Watch Umphrey's perform Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond via L4LM here:

Umphrey’s McGee: Suwannee Hulaween - Live Oak, FL - 10.26.17

Set 1: No Crying In Mexico > 40’s Theme > Wappy Sprayberry > All In Time > Push The Pig, Dump City > All In Time

Set 2:: Le Blitz > Remind Me > The Triple Wide > The Floor, Day Nurse > Shine On You Crazy Diamond > Day Nurse, Booth Love

Kyle Hollingsworth Band Announces Fall Southeast Run August 18, 2017 14:02

Summer Camp Adds The Disco Biscuits, Gov't Mule, YMSB + More February 22, 2017 21:00

Photo by Adam Winokur

Summer Camp Music Festival has released a video from The String Cheese Incident's Kyle Hollingsworth which reveals the latest artist additions to the festival's 2017 lineup.  These additions include The Disco Biscuits, Gov’t Mule, Yonder Mountain String Band, Everyone Orchestra, Waka Flocka Flame, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Larry Keel, and Family Groove Company.  This round of artists join an already stacked lineup, which includes festival hosts moe. and Umphrey's McGee, along with Trey Anastasio Band, Primus, Run The Jewels, Mike Gordon, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Destructo, EOTO, The Floozies, Ganja White Night, Hippie Sabotage, Keller Williams’ KWahtro, Manic Focus, Nahko and Medicine For The People, Rezz, Slander, Tommy Trush and The Wood Brothers.The festival will return to Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL over Memorial Day weekend, May 26-28.

For all of the latest updates on Summer Camp, visit the festival's official website.

The String Cheese Incident Confirms Seven "Spring Cheese" Dates January 24, 2017 15:23

The String Cheese Incident has confirmed a total of seven "Spring Cheese" tour dates which will span from the midwest to Texas during early to mid April.  First up is a two-night stand at The Palace Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 5th and 6th.  The band then heads over to Wisconsin for a two-night run at The Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wisconsin on April 7th and 8th. Following the four midwest shows, SCI will head down to Texas for three nights at Stubb’s in Austin, Texas on April 13th – 15th.  Tickets to these shows go on sale through SCI Ticketing beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, January 25th at 11 a.m. MT. Special travel packages for the Texas run of shows is available via CID Entertainment.

Click Here: Official SCI Tour Page

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Watch The String Cheese Incident perform "Sympathy For The Devil" at Red Rocks in July of 2015 here:

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The String Cheese Incident Delivers Epic July 4th Celebration in Atlanta July 5, 2016 14:50

Words and Photos by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

It is always a special occasion when The String Cheese Incident embarks on a lengthy tour, especially when said tour includes a handful of dates in the southeast.  As soon as the band announced it's two-night July 4th run in Atlanta, there was no doubt as to what I would be doing on this Independence Day weekend.  Following an unforgettable performance on Sunday night, Cheese returned to the stage at Chastain Park on Monday night for a July 4th celebration that we will be talking about for years to come.  

Click Here: Recap + Photo Gallery + Video from Sunday Night (07/03) at Chastain Park

The first set got started with "Valley of the Jig," a melodic bluegrass instrumental which featured some amazing back-and-forth moments from Michael Kang on fiddle and Bill Nershi on guitar, before transitioning into a somewhat techno jam.  No band can pull off that concept quite like Cheese. "Got What He Wanted" was next; giving the lively Atlanta crowd a well-known sing-along early on.  Another vintage bluegrass instrumental then came in the form of "Dudley's Kitchen," one which simply demands you to dance.  Keith Moseley (bass/vocals) then took the lead on "Sometime's a River," another heartwarming sing-along.  

The energy in Chastain Park went to another level with the jam-focused "Turn This Around," a tune that allows Kang to absolutely wail on the electric guitar.  A seamless transition led into "Smile," and if that song doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy, you may have some issues worth addressing.  The band then introduced Ms. Rhonda Thomas, who would be making her first of many appearances on stage.  They wasted no time busting into a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" that will never be forgotten to close the first set.  Fortunately, Moseley assured the crowd that we would be seeing more of Ms. Thomas in the second set.

After a brief intermission, Cheese returned to the stage and called upon Ms. Thomas for her vocal assistance once again.  Kyle Hollingsworth led us into the super funky "Believe," and the second set was off to a blazing start.  Moseley stepped up once again for "Sweet Spot," easily one of the catchiest, feel-good tunes in the Cheese catalog.  That seems to be a bit of a pattern anytime Moseley handles lead vocals.  

Rhonda Thomas stayed on stage for one more tune, and nobody saw it coming.  The band busted into a cover of Vulfpeck's "Funky Duck," and it could not have been a better decision.  If you haven't yet jumped on the Vulfpeck funk bandwagon, I recommend making it a priority.  Nershi calmed things down a bit with "Farther," just before Kang led a raging "Howard" that pumped a new life into Chastain Park.  I'd be shocked if there was a single attendant not singing along as the band worked through "Outside and Inside," the title track from the band's 2001 studio release (Outside Inside).  The decision to cover the Allman Brother's "Hot 'Lanta" couldn't have been any more appropriate, and the ultimate buildup into "Let's Go Outside" was simply perfect.  Hollingsworth left it all on the stage as he led the crowd through one of Cheese's newer, high-energy funk tunes.

Unfortunately, this "weekend" had to end somewhere, but not before an overwhelming encore.  "Black Clouds," one of my all-time favorites from the Born on the Wrong Planet album, gave us one more chance to get down to the classic Cheese bluegrass vibe.  Our old friend Rhonda Thomas then took the stage for one final appearance, which Moseley described as "the most patriotic song we could possibly play on July 4th."  This version of "America, The Beautiful" was on another level, prompting a whole lot of hugs and high fives throughout Chastain Park. 

I simply can't say enough about The String Cheese Incident and their ability to resonate such a warm energy with every song.  After nearly 15 years of listening attentively to this band, this was only the fifth and sixth opportunity I have had to see them live.  This weekend will serve as a constant reminder of why I fell in love with this band at such an early age, and why I plan on going out of my way to see them again whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Click Here: Recap + Photo Gallery + Video from Sunday Night (07/03) at Chastain Park

Watch The String Cheese Incident and Ms. Rhonda Thomas perform Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" here:

The String Cheese Incident Lights Up Atlanta's Chastain Park July 4, 2016 12:49

Words and Photos by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

The String Cheese Incident returned to Atlanta for the first time in over five years (Fox Theatre: 11/26/11 - 11/27/11) on Sunday night, and they did so in fine form.  This would serve as the third show of the band's summer tour, and the first of a two-night run at the prestigious Chastain Park Amphitheatre.  After a thirty minute rain delay, the crowd filtered back into the stands just before 8:00 PM EST, ready for the party that would follow.

The band came out swinging as they opened with "Close Your Eyes," before moving into "Doin' My Time."  "Betray The Dark" and "Xai Xai" would come next, only to be followed by the rousing classic "Rhythm of the Road."  Kyle Hollingsworth (keys/vocals) then took full control and led the rowdy Atlanta crowd through one of the bands newer dance party tunes "Stop, Drop, Roll" to close out the first set.

Following a brief set break, the band returned to the stage with overwhelming energy as they worked through the trancey, electronic "Bumpin' Reel."  The heavy funk vibe continued with "Dirk," before Billy Nershi (guitar/vocals) calmed things down a bit with the always beautiful "Windy Mountain."  Keith Moseley (bass) got everyone moving again with the heavy, slap bass driven "Freedom Jazz Dance," as Chastain Park became an official dance party.  From here, Michael Kang took the lead with the peaceful, melodic opening notes of "Shine," which always builds into such a powerful tune.  

Michael Travis (drums) and Jason Hann (percussion) would then lead the band into The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil," a move that sent the entire amphitheater into an all out frenzy.  And just when you thought the energy had reached it's peak, Hollingsworth kicked the jam straight into a raging "Rosie" that would close out the second set.  After a brief exit from the stage, the band returned with special guest Tony Furtado (mandolin) for a mesmerizing performance of the classic "Restless Wind."  Cheese returns to the stage at Chastain Park on Monday night for what is sure to be an epic celebration of America's freedom.

Check out our favorite photos from night one at Chastain Park below, as well as video clips from "Shine" and "Sympathy for the Devil." Stay tuned for coverage of the band's Fourth of July celebration on Monday night in Atlanta!

Setlist: The String Cheese Incident - Atlanta, GA - 07.03.16

SET 1: Close Your Eyes > Doin' My Time, Betray The Dark, Xai Xai, Rhythm of the Road > Stop, Drop, Roll

SET 2: Bumpin' Reel, Dirk, Windy Mountain > Freedom Jazz Dance, Shine > Sympathy For The Devil > Rosie

ENCORE: Restless Wind¹

NOTES: ¹ with Tony Furtado

Watch a clip of The String Cheese Incident performing "Sympathy for the Devil" here: