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Live music still lives in Greenville

3•29•2007

P Groove to perform at Pantana Bob's Live music still lives in Greenville Liz Fulton, Senior Writer As one of the last beacons of pure musical talent to perform in Greenville, Perpetual Groove will take the stage at Pantana Bob's tonight. P Groove is a jam band, but unlike many of their contemporaries, words and meaning is infused within their extensive yet highly enjoyable jams. Fans describe their music as "trance arena rock" due to their experimentations in live 5.1-concert surround sound, an intense retina blinding light show and a willingness to keep the connection strong between band and fans. Founded in Savannah, Ga., within the creative walls of the Savannah College of Art and Design, bassist Adam Perry and guitarist Brock Butler met during their freshmen orientation. Throughout their tenure at SCAD, the two formed Perpetual Groove with two other schoolmates who departed the band shortly after graduation. Since 2001 when drummer Albert Suttle and keys player Matt McDonald joined the gang, P Groove transitioned from a local act enjoying the venues Georgia has to offer into a powerhouse touring machine playing at least 150 shows a year. Their third studio album, LiveLoveDie was released three weeks ago co-produced by the band and Robert Hannon (Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below). LiveLoveDie is more grown up than their past releases, with members of the band bringing something directly to its conception. Many of the songs were written while in the studio resulting in a collective contribution of four very talented and individual musicians. In a recent interview published on JamBands.com, Butler expressed Perpetual Groove's emotional ties to their music. "A lot of our songs, especially the ones with lyrics, start off as more of a singer-songwriter approach. Even the stuff that doesn't have lyrics, we may use electronic effects, but there is still that human element." First-time visitors and hard-core followers will not be disappointed with their live show this Thursday. Besides playing a vast array of songs from their music library, the band has also begun to cover more regularly the high-energy recordings of Wu-Tang Clan and Rage Against the Machine. "That is something for the kids," said Butler. "It's a way to let people know everything isn't so serious." All kidding aside, Perpetual Groove is a band that honestly believes in the power of music and its ability to connect with everyone and everything. "The first time I saw them at Red Rooster, they just played and played with no breaks in between songs. It seemed like they were having the best time," said junior communication major Sami Allen. "I have never felt such energy between a band and the crowd during a show." With the release of LiveLoveDie, Perpetual Groove took many painstaking steps to ensure that there was zero negative impact on the environment from its production to its packaging. In association with Tree Sound Studios, Sustainable Waves and Green Mountain Energy Company, the album was the first ever to be produced with zero net carbon emissions. All of the packaging was 100 percent recyclable and renewable energy credits were used throughout the recording. Stop by PB's this Thursday for an evening full of good vibes and meaningful music. The show starts at 10 p.m. with tickets $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Come see why High Times magazine called them a highlight of the Langerado Music Festival. This writer can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Original Article: http://media.www.theeastcarolinian.com/media/storage/paper915/news/2007/03/29/Pulse/P.Groove.To.Perform.At.Pantana.Bobs-2810576.shtml

Perpetual Groove LIVELOVEDIE

3•5•2007

Perpetual Groove (PG) is taking a ground breaking, passionate approach to making music while leaving a positive impact on the environment, and setting an example for not just their fans, but the entertainment industry as a whole. PG is the first band to take extreme steps in making their products and business as environmentally friendly as possible. With LIVELOVEDIE, their latest studio effort co-produced by Perpetual Groove and Grammy winner Robert Hannon (Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below), they have gone where no major labels hat yet. The album is the first to be produced using renewable energies from the recording all the way down to the manufacturing having zero negative impact on our environment. The packaging of the album is 100% made from recyclable materials – 50% post consumer waste and 50% postindustrial/manufacturing waste to using soy inks exclusively in the packaging. This all done through Perpetual Groove’s partnership with Tree Sound Studios, Sustainable Waves, and Green Mountain Energy Company and is being released by the environmentally friendly label, Tree Leaf Music. A celebrated, international touring act for over four years with an enormous on-line community message board of over 2,300 active members, Perpetual Groove has built a reputation on intense, emotional music that fans call “trance arena rock,” and won over legions of fans with their experimentations in live 5.1 concert surround sound, an intense retina blinding light show, and a willingness to keep the connection strong between band and fans. The Athens, GA-based band’s riveting live performances have catapulted them into the “must-see” category of live rock bands. With a funky blend of jazz-rock, neo-psychedelia, R&B, trance electronica, progressive rock and anthemic arena rock, the Bonnaroo veterans have conquered the festival circuit and continue to tour relentlessly. “We are really excited to bring these new songs to our fans. We’re the same band you have come to know and love, but like any good artist, we change. Where we are in our lives changes, so what we write about changes. Our songwriting has improved leaps and bounds since the last record,” says Brock Butler, singer & guitar player for the band. LIVELOVEDIE is a departure for the quartet. With a stronger focus on lyrics and song structure and a much heavier overall sound, the album is sure to surprise even the most die-hard of “PGroove” listeners. Perpetual Groove has shown a flair for creating genre-spanning music, yet keeps their catalog fresh and unique by constantly changing the material in the live setting. The band will be touring internationally through 2007 to promote the release of LIVELOVEDIE. The tour kicks off with an appearance at The Langerado Music Festival in South Florida in early March 2007.

Original Article: http://www.kyndmusic.com/2007/03/05/perpetual-groove-livelovedie/

Knickerbockers to host Mardi Gras ‘Groove’

2•16•2007

For a band like Perpetual Groove, making the jump from playing on a local scale in nightclubs and bars to the full-time endeavor of touring and recording albums can be daunting. But unless the band’s scale of trajectory changes anytime soon, it looks like it’s well on its way to the big time. Come next Tuesday, also known as national pastime Mardi Gras, Perpetual Groove will bring its electrifying road show to Knickerbockers, 901 O St., for a night of jams, jazz and psychedelic funk. The band, which has only been around for about four years, has seen a growth from playing to a steady fan base in Savannah, Ga., to finding a home on the road. The band now plays up to 200 shows per year across the U.S., and last year that schedule included a performance in front of more than 20,000 people at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee. “That was the biggest crowd we’ve played for by far,” said Brock Butler, Perpetual Groove’s vocalist and guitarist. “I made it a point to look out over the number of people out there. I wanted to remember that moment forever.” While Tuesday’s crowd at Knickerbockers is expected to be a little smaller than the audience at Bonnaroo, the band still puts in those little bits of extra effort to try and make the show equally as impressive. The band travels with its own lighting setup, a huge circular contraption that is described in the band’s press release as an “intense, retina-burning light show … unlike any other.” Experiments with 5.1 Dolby surround sound add another layer to the concert-going experience. Butler said the band focuses on original compositions from its albums, but he likes to mix in a few covers here and there, giving Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” as some examples. Perpetual Groove is about to release its third album, “LiveLoveDie,” on March 6. Previous efforts included 2003’s “Sweet Oblivious Antidote” and 2004’s follow up “All This Everything.” Those efforts helped Perpetual Groove land a spot on Relix Magazine’s annual list of “Top Ten Bands to Watch” in 2005. The Knickerbockers gig is the last in a run of wintertime shows. The band will play the occasional show this spring before gearing up for another summer touring season, which will include stops at the Langerado Music Festival, Wakarusa Music Festival and High Sierra Music Festival. Justin Kadlec, cofounder of Rad Kadillac Productions, which is promoting the show, said Perpetual Groove is one of a few bands that has been requested by local music fans. “We’re at a point where booking agents are starting to ask us to book bands, but after Wakarusa last year, there has been a lot of interest in putting together a Lincoln date for Perpetual Groove,” Kadlec said. He added that the show almost didn’t happen because of some scheduling conflicts early on, but the band offered to come to Lincoln at the end of its tour when other options fell through. “I look at it like we really wanted them to come here, and they offered us the last date on the tour on Fat Tuesday,” Kadlec said. “I’m not sure there is a better recipe for a crazy night.”

Original Article: http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2007/02/16/ArtsEntertainment/Knickerbockers.To.Host.Mardi.Gras.groove-2725173.shtml