The band closes the weekend’s Buses by the Beach benefit, with The Accidentals, Roosevelt Diggs and more also performing. Rootstand releases a new EP this summer, followed by “focused” touring.
Taking Michigan Music Across State Lines: Rootstand has set its sights high. (Photo/Christine Mannino Photography)
THE BAND: Rootstand
WHAT THEY PLAY: Celtic jamgrass, blues, jazz, reggae
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: 9:30 p.m. Sunday at Bus Benefit presented by Buses by the Beach
Camp Blodgett, West Olive (between Grand Haven and Holland)
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Leave it to bartenders to best describe Rootstand’s scrumptious and sundry musical stew.
How about Flogging Molly meets Sublime? Or Matisyahu pairing up with Yonder Mountain String Band?
Closing the Bus Benefit: Rootstand (Photo/Miss Shela Photography)
That’s how a couple of mixologists have characterized the Ann Arbor band’s all-inclusive approach, melding the Celtic rock, ska punk, reggae, hip hop and bluegrass of the aforementioned artists with healthy doses of blues, jazz and country.
“What makes Rootstand unique is the elements of reggae, dancehall, blues and Celtic sounds in a scene overflowing
with bluegrass bands,” guitarist and singer Brant Losinski suggests of the band formed more than a decade ago.
“Bluegrass was one of our original inspirations, but we naturally gravitated toward translating it to include elements of other styles of music we were interested in, even rap.”
For his part, Bob Marley, Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead and Shane McGowan of The Pogues were major influences, with additional inspiration from “blues greats” Robert Randolph, Joe Bonamassa and Derek Trucks.
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The core of the band – Losinski, banjo player Tim Sheldon, drummer Chad Sturdivant and mandolinist Paul Lippens – has released three major albums since 2006, with its next recording, “Mad Roots EP,” slated to be released this summer. Losinski describes it as “all original new songs that capture our club-oriented hip hop, reggae and indie blues sounds.”
It’s an approach that sparks ebullient, animated reactions from fans at the band’s lively shows.
CAPTURING ‘A SENSE OF PUB REVOLUTION’
“We still absolutely love to make people dance and try to capture a sense of pub revolution,” Losinski says. “We don’t want anyone getting hurt, but if you suddenly jumped to your feet, spiked your pint glass on the pub floor and started dancing wildly, we wouldn’t be surprised.”
Attendees at this weekend’s Bus Benefit presented by Buses by the Beach at Camp Blodgett in West Olive will experience that Rootstand fervor when the group closes out three days of live music at the unique festival along Lake Michigan at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. OrganGrindrs and Great Notion kick off the evening of music at 6:30 p.m.
Rootstand (Photo/Miss Shela Photography)
The festival, which raises money for the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday with Nicholas James & The Bandwagon, followed by Roosevelt Diggs. Saturday’s lineup features an open-mic session at 4 p.m., followed Bigfoot Buffalo at 6:30 p.m., Fauxgrass at 7:45 p.m. and The Accidentals at 9:30 p.m.
Weekend passes are $75, day passes $35. Get details at busesbythebeach.org, with a link to ticket sales. See the full schedule of activities and performances online here.
Rootstand’s diverse approach isn’t surprising, considering the impressive academic background of its members: Sheldon has a degree in education from Western Michigan University, and Losinski holds a master’s degree in writing from the University of Michigan, where Sturdivant earned a degree in anthropology and Lippens earned a master’s in urban planning. Other players who’ve joined them over the years stand out, too.
“We have had several awesome bass players the last few years, including Brennan Andes of the Macpodz, Grov “GT” Tigue who now plays in the Pistons pit rally band at home games, and most recently, Flint music all-star Corey Planck,” says Losinski. “We also feature Ross Huff often, a music grad from U-M and a great trumpeter from the Macpodz camp.”
Brant Losinski
Rootstand has performed in 30 states over the years and played a host of summer festivals – including its own Rootenanny event in northern Michigan – but aims to launch a more focused effort this year in touring behind the new EP while “developing our online and out-of-state markets.”
“The challenge is to take our Michigan music across state lines where population densities and overall consumer wealth is higher,” says Losinski.
He notes that while the regional music scene “churns out brilliant music … akin to New Orleans or Nashville,” the state’s music industry is still quite small and struggles with economic viability.
“It is a goal and hope of mine to see a more established industry in Michigan,” he says, “that truly unites various musical entities.”
ROOTSTAND: DISC GOLF LIFE
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