Roster McCabe
by Leah Concialdi
Momentum–something Roster McCabe is not losing any time soon. This five-piece band hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has been making noise in Colorado and throughout the Midwest consistently since 2008.
I first had the pleasure of seeing these guys at the Aggie Theatre in the fall of 2010 during their Sorry for Partying Tour with Denver-based Kinetix and the Brew, from Boston. All three of these high-energy powerhouse bands swapped headlining in their respective markets embarking on a ten-week romp through the U.S. Since then, Roster has done anything BUT lose steam.
Self-proclaimed “funky reggae dance rock,” the group is comprised of the fluid vocals of Alex Steele (who also holds down the fort on keyboards); levitating lead guitar lines by Mike Daum; foundational, yet funky bass lines provided by Scott Mullenberg; double duty on guitar and synthesizer by Drew Preiner and Jeff Peterson protecting the pocket on drums.
On this Colorado run (which included dates in Fort Collins, Boulder, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park and Breckenridge), I had the opportunity to see Roster throw down at Hodi’s Half Note in Fort Collins (2/8/12) and three20South in Breckenridge (2/19/12). In the two short years I’ve been following the band, they have proved themselves to be past the point of an up-and-coming act to evolving into top-notch touring staple throughout the Midwest.
Both nights had everything a good live show should; they were conscientious of playing fan favorites, throwing in crowd-pleasing covers, and hitting the audience with new material. The Fort Collins’ set began with reggae-infused fan favorite, “The Traveler.” Roster is not a band to regurgitate their songs the same way every time they are played. In fact, Daum teased Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean” during the jam-part of the song garnering hyped reaction and recognition from the crowd at Hodi’s. And they were just getting started. The rest of the set included songs off of their latest studio album Through Space and Time including “Falling Apart,” “Swords,” and an extended version of “Acorns.” They put the audience into a trance before busting out a cover of Matisyahu’s “King Without a Crown,” where Steele stood up from the keys and got the crowd even more amped for the remainder of the set. The set ended with a progressive, synth-laced instrumental “Soar” and an encore of their catchy, easily radio-friendly tune “Stargazer,” teasing “Acorns” once again, and leaving the crowd already craving their next Roster show.
The Breckenridge show was even more packed, as Roster has gained quite the following in Colorado’s mountain towns. This was anything but a clone of the previous set I had seen at Hodi’s. A notable song played on this run is a new tune of theirs entitled “Take a Breath” where trademark Roster flavors of “funky reggae dance rock” are interrupted by a heavy-hitting, dubstep-like breakdown sending the audience into a frenzy. This is even more proof that Roster can seamlessly mix styles of music simultaneously while still maintaining their signature sound. Ace of Base’s “The Sign” crept up in their set, and this “Stargazer” encore had Eric Blumenfeld and Adam Lufkin of Kinetix reuniting from their “Sorry for Partying” days, and ended the show with a super-group number that may, in fact, have the audience just a little sorry for partying that rowdy on Presidents’ Day weekend.
Roster has continued to up their fan base and caliber of gigs throughout the past few years, and are definitely being saluted as a must-see act on both the Midwest and festival circuits. In fact, Roster McCabe was named the #5 “Most Trending Band” on JamBase this past year. You can download all of their music for free at www.rostermccabe.com.
Live: Friday, April 20 at Cervantes.
Category: Planet Buzz
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