written by: Aaron Kayce Perpetual Groove is slowly building toward a bigger, darker, rock sound. Emerging from Savannah, GA, in 2001, the quartet quickly became a staple on the jam circuit, amassing a loyal following based on its captivating live shows. In the studio PGroove found moderate success with its 2003 debut, Sweet Oblivious Antidote, and showed considerable growth with 2004’s All This Everything, which was produced by Grammy winner Robert Hannon (OutKast). The band’s Hannon-helmed third release, LIVELOVEDIE, is its most ambitious record to date. While there is a heavier tone to much of the material, guitarist/frontman Brock Butler’s vocals retain the emotional quality and warmth that has become a defining factor in the band’s sound. “It Starts Where It Ends,” with the refrain “You live, you love, you die,” is classic PGroove. The song builds off Butler’s simple, reflective lyrics supported by tasteful instrumentation that gives way to a soaring guitar crescendo. The moments on the album that show the greatest potential for gaining a larger audience are the instrumental parts. Whether it’s the dirty, lap steel middle section of “So Much As Goodbye,” the hard-hitting “May Day,” or the slightly longwinded “Speed Queen,” the jams are focused and sharp—there’s no aimless noodling or gratuitous guitar wankery.

The Catch-22 for Perpetual Groove is the lyrics. The sentimental vocals are part of what sets PGroove apart, but at the same time the content often relies on surface observations that border on cliché. When Butler sings, “I’ve washed so far from the shore, but the water’s still nice” (“Two Shores”), “I try to remember it’s all in the master plan” (“It Starts Where It Ends”) and “Man enough to face it and strong enough to take the leap” (“Legends of Preston”), it’s so basic that it’s mundane.

Bridging the gap from one genre (jam) to another (rock) is incredibly difficult; however, PGroove is a remarkably talented band that has shown the unique ability to write a catchy melody that will stick with the listener. If Butler can continue to develop his songwriting and cut deeper into the human experience, past the simple emotions and into the psyche, then the band will stand a chance of crossing that bridge—until then Perpetual Groove will remain one of the jam scene’s top acts.

Selling out the Georgia Theatre since New Year's Eve of '04, Perpetual Groove has earned a rightful spot on many a Facebook profile music list. The band is approaching its six-year anniversary in June with three albums and an incredible concert history. PERPETUAL GROOVE When: 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday Where: Georgia Theatre Cost: $18 More Info: http://www.georgiatheatre.com P-Groove has played for 20,000 people at Bonnaroo, as well as appeared at such festivals as High Sierra, Langerado, Wakarusa, 10,000 Lakes, Jam Cruise, The Blue Ridge Harvest Fest, Atlanta's Music Midtown and Xingolati. P-Groove's new album, "LiveLoveDie," was co-produced by Grammy winner Robert Hannon (of Outkast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" fame). According to the band's Web site, the album was printed on 100% recyclable material, making P-Groove the first band to produce an album using only renewable resources. Aside from different manufacturing, the album's sound is surprisingly different as well, concentrating more on lyrics and not as much on jams. "The new album is a lot more contrived and focused toward the direction the band is going." said drummer Matt McDonald. "We've grown up a lot." McDonald said fans can expect to hear several new songs in addition to a few covers at Friday and Saturday's shows at Georgia Theatre. "They're going to be two of our best shows," he said. McDonald said the members are very comfortable with performing at the Theatre, having played there numerous times and having grown to trust the stage, they know the show is going to sound good. P-Groove expressed its affection toward the Georgia Theatre earlier in the year when it played a benefit concert raising almost $12,000 to profit Friends of the Georgia Theatre, an organization committed to restoring the historic building. "It's a great feeling to know that after the show you can just go and hang out with your friends instead of having to get on the road," McDonald said. "We're playing at home, and that's a great feeling."

Amid the swirling synthesizers and eye-catching light show, Perpetual Groove stays true to its name. The quartet, with originated at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1997, rides the jam band wave that crests at Penn's Peak from time to time, but the band's sound is unique unto itself. Perpetual Groove made a return engagement to The Peak Friday night for a rousing performance that lasted nearly three hours, including an intermission to allow the crowd to catch its breath. PGroove's monicker suggest danceable jamming, and the band delivers on that account, thanks to the versatile rhythm section of bassist Adam Perry and drummer Albert Suttle, who team to handle whatever intricate time signatures the group cooks up, often shifting in midsong. The mix has some 60's era classic psychedelia, but there are elements of other influences on display as well. Guitarist Brock Butler claims to be a reluctant frontman, but his six-string work bends and shapes the PGroove sound from behind his array of foot pedals and other technical wizardly. Butler says PGroove is first and foremost a rock band, and his heavy metal fretwork on "Speed Queen", which opened the second set, proves his point. Butler also handles singing chores when necessary. With all the instrumental firework, the vocals sometimes seem an afterthought, but Butler manages to make it work in a seamless fashion. The music took twists and turns in different directions, but the effect was the same for the audience, a good number of whom kept in constant motion throughout as the rhythms washed over them. On keyboards, Matt McDonald filled in during extended Butler guitar solo excursions with some spacey synthesizer work of his own. PGroove also has a new album coming out in March, called LiveLoveDie, and it mixed three numbers for that upcoming disc into the set. Coming up with an encore could be a challenge, but PGroove was up to it. McDonald played the unmistakable keyboard intro to the band's cover of The Verve's smash '90's anthem "Bittersweet Symphony", bringing the performance to an uplifting coda. It was a cool cover from a band that branches out musically with each concert. Kicking things off was Liquid Sunshine from Monroe County, which fit it well as a Perpetual Groove opener, throwing in a version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" for good measure.