Playing Saturday’s Bob Dylan Tribute show at Founders Brewing, the band with a Deadhead following also hopes to start recording a studio album later this year. (Story, podcast, photos)
THE BAND: Great NotionWHAT THEY PLAY: Grateful Dead songs, jam-band music
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids
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Often times, the best ideas are those that constantly evolve, adjusting to the surroundings and to inspirational moments.
Such is the case with Holland’s Great Notion, a jam band that launched in 2013 with, yes, the great notion of being a Grateful Dead tribute act. It has since morphed into something much more than that, with the group crafting original music and delving into the bottomless, genre-spanning trough of jam-band glory.
And it all started with the group’s first official gig at Holland’s Park Theatre.
“It was one of the most overwhelming shows I’ve ever played in my life,” lead guitarist and singer Jaysen Perkins recalls. “I couldn’t believe it . There were 180 people that just showed up out of nowhere.”
Those Deadheads, as it turns out, are an enthusiastic bunch, giving Great Notion an almost instant West Michigan fan base.
“The people who really love it, REALLY love it. We get a lot of love from people,” says singer and rhythm guitarist Jason Roseboom, referencing Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia’s famous quote about the band’s fans: “Our audience is like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice, really like licorice.”
Perkins, a West Ottawa High School graduate, and Roseboom, who graduated from Portage Northern High School, first got together for basement jams a few years ago. That set the stage for the Dead- and Allman Brothers-like two-drummer attack of Great Notion, which also features John Wenger (bass, vocals), Aaaron Humphrey (keyboards), Keith Carlson (drums) and Jason Campbell (drums).
“It started as a Grateful Dead cover band,” says Roseboom. “Now, we’re starting to write more things and morph into other things.”
He adds that the group also changes things up at times by “slowing it down and taking it kind of easy, finding space in the music. That doesn’t always seem to happen in the jam-band world.”
The band demonstrated that stylistic growth in the studios of WYCE-FM as part of Local Spins on WYCE, performing an original tune, “Good Things,” as well as a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Shelter from the Storm.” Listen to the songs, the interview and the full Local Spins on WYCE podcast here.
PODCAST: LOCAL SPINS ON WYCE NO. 38
Great Notion will expand on its Dylan repertoire Saturday night at Founders Brewing Co. for the eighth annual Bob Dylan Tribute boasting five popular West Michigan acts. The 9:30 p.m. show organized by singer-songwriter Nicholas James Thomasma will feature, in order, Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, The Carboys, Nicholas James & The Bandwagon, Bigfoot Buffalo and Great Notion. Local Spins also will be on hand for introductions and giveways in celebration of its third anniversary. Admission is $5.
A PASSION FOR DYLAN AND HOPES FOR A STUDIO ALBUM
Roseboom, who confesses to a Dylan obsession, says Great Notion is thrilled to be part of this year’s lineup.
“It’s a huge honor for us to be playing there,” he says. “I’m a huge fan of Bob Dylan.”
Great Notion follows up Saturday’s performance with an appearance May 24 as part of the Bus Benefit presented by Buses by the Beach at Camp Blodgett in West Olive, with several other regional acts on the weekend bill. They return to Park Theatre on June 6 for a concert with Lansing’s Fried Egg Nebula and St. Louis, Missouri’s Blue Fruit Snacks, with a few more shows later in the month.
After that, Perkins says, the band will take a break, then reassemble in the fall to “get back into it” and start recording an album.
“We’re just kind of getting the songs together and figuring out our game plan from there,” says Roseboom, adding that band members bring their love of varied musical styles to the table, from jazz to folk to reggae.
“A lot of it came from all of us being influenced by different things … all of that just getting fused together in
our songwriting process, and just jamming and practicing every week, taking the music out as far as we can.”
The 38th edition of Local Spins on WYCE also featured the debut of tracks from new or upcoming albums by the Rusty Wright Band, Nathan Kalish & The Lastcallers, The Official Thieves and The Outer Vibe, along with songs by Billy Strings & Don Julin, Mystic Dub, Steppin’ In It and Fried Egg Nebula.
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC