Gripweed

by Tim Wenger

Generally speaking, if you have the Black Crowes’ Luther Dickinson playing on your album, you must be doing alright. According to Musketeer Gripweed’s Jason Downing himself, they are going just fine. “The rate things have been going this last year has ramped up dramatically,” says Downing, who handles the screaming, harping and dobro-ing for the Loveland, Colorado based group. Downing, who is also a sociology teacher, in addition to his roles with the band, gave Colorado Music Buzz the details on their new album and upcoming happenings.

The band, called Gripweed for short, met Dickinson through Rob Thomas, who suggested asking him to play on the album. Needless to say, the Gripweed gang was blissful when Dickinson agreed. “The slide work he did on the album is something that fits perfectly with our band,” says Downing.

The band is setting up a tour through Colorado with North Mississippi Allstars to help promote the album in addition to many other gigs. “Every show is an event,” says Downing. That being said, the fact he and his band mates have a life outside the band as well, make them a bit selective about where, and how often, they play locally. “We’ve been smarter about it, picking our places and not burning ourselves out.”

Their somewhat jammy, self-proclaimed “American Revival ass shake stomp holla” music aims not only to get butts on the dance floor, but to fill people’s minds with positive messages and influence. “We can make our food better, our music better, improve humanity,” says Downing. “It doesn’t cost any money to treat each other better.” Their album is zero waste, and comes with a poster and sticker, but you will not find any plastic wrap anywhere in the packaging. In true Colorado style, they also feature organic merchandise.

The band is perfectly at home in Colorado, where good ol’ rock n’ roll is always welcome. Check out their show next time it comes near you, and be ready for a party. “It’s American music, revival music, Colorado music,” Downing says.

Tags: musketeer gripweed, gripweed, black crowes, luther dickinson, jason downing, loveland colorado, tob thomas, north mississippi allstars

Category: The Rock