Twiddle: New Year, New Sounds
Forgive me this long, drawn out, review-style synopsis of what I saw this past weekend at Higher Ground. It’s been a while since I’ve indulged my enjoyment of writing, and what better topic to exercise those muscles on than something near and dear to my heart — Twiddle.
Most people know me as a “harsh critic” and a “tough customer” when it comes to both being exposed to new music as well as discussing music I already love. On one hand, I often tell people that I’m “too bogged down with the music I’m already focused on to take on another band.” This is at least somewhat blasphemy. There’s always more time for more music. That having been said, I’m the sort of music listener who becomes hyper-focused on those bands that I do listen to and want or even NEED to know them inside out. To bring you up to speed on my relationship with Twiddle, I’ll first need to take you back a bit further.
The Phish Obsession:
In the early throes of my Phish obsession, I felt that burning need to know everything. I felt as though I absolutely HAD to hear everything. Over the course of the next year, I listened to every show from 1983-1998. I would dissect the style of the era, the songs that came out and how they coincided with where the band seemed to be and how their age and maturity contributed to their evolving sound. This research led me through the cycles of early ’90s uninhibited Trey, into that ‘94/’95 sound that fused the young uninhibited rock with the soon-to-come potent funk of the ‘97/’98 era. In 2009 when the band reunited, I was lucky enough to finally enjoy this sound in real time and had a whole new era of music to consider. What’s become of those four men is a musical conversation that can be compared to very few in existence. While they don’t necessarily harness that same raw power of their youth anymore, what’s left is a group of musicians who can truly do whatever they please together. Point is: this is how I listen to music.
Some people consider it to my detriment, and they may be right. There are times that I wish I would not care so much and just throw down without any regard for “how on-point the band is” on that given night. For one, who deemed me the person who gets to say? And secondly, these bands play at a VERY HIGH level even when they’re having what some would call an “off night.” So yes, while sometimes I wish I could neglect certain emotions and just surrender to the flow, it’s because of my standards (for lack of a better word) that I’ve happened across what I would consider some of the absolute best music that exists.
So – this brings me to Twiddle. There are only three bands that have ever gotten me like this. First was The Grateful Dead. Second was Phish. Third was Twiddle. I’ve said it before, but the first thing that got me about Twiddle was that they were writing real songs with that organic roots rock & roll/roots reggae sound and also jamming on them in a way that stood out. The most important thing to me when getting into a band is the songs they write. If you don’t write songs that I care about, then I’m just downright not going to get into your band in a real way. I will go see your band and respect it. I’ll get down to your band and enjoy it, but if your songs don’t resonate with me – we won’t ever “get there” together.
The first time I saw Twiddle was in 2009. I enjoyed it. The second time was in 2011. I thought they were sweet. Nothing more, nothing less. The third, fourth, and fifth Twiddle visits were in 2012. The first two I enjoyed, but the third is where our relationship took a turn. I saw the boys at Sullivan Hall in the city on December 29th, 2012 post-Phish, and I saw the light. Or “the great white light.” perhaps. Over the course of 2013 to the present, I saw Twiddle 75 more times. I went to every show that I possibly could, and for a time they were very accessible, and we were able to forge a fast and meaningful bond. The end of this New Year’s run marked my 80th show, and I have no intention of slowing down.
Which brings me to this year’s run.
This year’s Twiddle New Year’s run started on the 31st, and while that show offered many a splendor, it’s not going to be the focus of this article. Instead, we’ll be focusing on Night 2. I enjoyed the 1/1/2016 show from about halfway back on the right side of the floor, directly left of the merch table. I spent much of that night with a good “frend” and fellow musician who was only marginally a Twiddle fan before that evening. About halfway through the second set, after a few hours of phenomenal music, he turned to me and said: “I’m a believer.” He had seen Twiddle before, and, much like me at first, he liked them. That was it, though: he liked them. He went on to ask me, “Have they always been this good?” My answer was simple. “No, they haven’t.” We talked about it for a few minutes, and I eventually told him, “I haven’t loved Twiddle for years because they were playing like this, but I’ve loved them knowing they eventually would.” What we witnessed (and many during Twerk Tour/early December) is a band that’s playing on an entirely different level.
For a long time, the jams have been more Mihali-centric, in my opinion. Most jams have been marked by a shredding solo and incredible peaks led by our main man on guitar (Mihali Savoulidis). It should go without saying that the others were always throwing down and doing their thing, but most of the jams were steered by our boy Mickey and his licks. While I LOVE this facet of Twiddle’s jamming, it’s been my hope to see the band begin to truly meld together and enter full-band grooves where no specific member was offering anything more overwhelming than the rest to the musical pallet. A jam where four musicians are unselfishly playing together to create a thick, palpable, full-bodied and robust groove. I’ve heard this sound from the boys before, but never in the frequency of this run.
Indigo Trigger: Jam Breakdown
The song I’d like to point out from the weekend to best highlight some of this assessment is “Indigo Trigger.” The jam starts out rich and patient. Early on, Mickey plays a fairly trademark lick of his, but the subtlety with which it blended with what was happening around it offered a totally new feel. It wasn’t long before they moved past this lick, and Mickey took to rhythm guitar for the better part of five minutes, throwing in single notes here and there to add nuance.
It was this section of the jam that truly got me. Zdenek Gubb and Brook Jordan (bass and drums) were locked in a down-tempo, filthy groove. Ryan Dempsey was boasting some new patches on the Moog that truly gave the instrument relevancy for me within the Twiddle sound. The patch he had worked out offered a deep synth-style sound that made an already astoundingly thick funk groove that much thicker. He was “turnin’ knobs” the way he often does, building up the tension, only to quickly abort to descending single notes organized in a melody of the darkest funk. I’ve heard nothing like it before from these guys, or almost anyone else. Mickey was meanwhile continuing along with a VERY rhythm-heavy section. I love when Mickey plays rhythm. It allows the jam to truly open up and let the other members shine, as well as showcase what they can do as a team when nobody has the ‘lead.’ They plucked along for a number of minutes before eventually building into what sounded like it was sure to be “Part 2” of the jam – The Shred.
The band threw me a curveball in the form of immediately breaking it back down into that same down-tempo funk groove. At this point, the energy in the room was absolutely through the roof. I can say with confidence that I’d never quite danced this hard at a Twiddle show before that moment. BROKEN KNEE BE DAMNED!!! Nothing a bag of ice couldn’t handle tomorrow – for the time, I was engaging in the filthiest dance party I’d just about ever been to. The boys were on. The weekend continued along much this way, with MANY other highlights (i.e., “Apples,” “Second Wind,” “Every Soul,” “Polluted Beauty,” “Carter Candlestick,” etc.). By the end, I left feeling rejuvenated and more excited than I could say for what the future holds for this band and all of those who hold it dear.The last thing I’d like to touch on that truly blew me away about the run was the way they crafted each set and the themes involved. Genius. The boys proved once and for all that they ARE smarter than I am. To boot, Plump is admittedly my least favorite of the studio albums (though I may bite my tongue after Part 2). I’m a sucker for Mickey’s storyteller lyrical style of yesteryear. That paired with the intense instrumental compositions highlighted most frequently on Natural Evolution of Consciousness is what made me fall in love with Twiddle. That being said, the new songs offer a truly poetic side of Twiddle and songs that a MASS of people in our world today can rally behind. Songs that offer wisdom and the notion of a better way of life. Songs that add only that much more depth and diversity to their repertoire. So it’s with that preface that I say night 2 – PLUMP – was FAR AND AWAY my favorite show of the run. To see all that music off NEOC (Natural Evolution of Consciousness) in one show was a dream come true for me, but it didn’t compare to what they did with the Plump material. Everything from the jams, to the emotions in that room, the “frendly horns” section, and just the whole ordeal – it was a truly magical night.
Twiddle is alive and well in 2016, and I feel very lucky to get to witness them in this formative part of their career. With the first half of Plump out, and the second coming, I’m very excited for this new year of Twiddle and can’t wait to hear how these new songs develop (as well as what’s sure to be some fun and new surprises on Disc 2 for us). Lastly, to all you folks – This is a truly remarkable community that’s been constructed by this band and the people who cherish it. There TRULY is no fan base like this one. For lack of a less cliché way to put it, the relentless love I see displayed at every show never ceases to blow me away. So cheers to Twiddle, cheers to a New Year, and cheers to all of you beautiful people! Let’s do this one bigger than the last.
Twiddle Winter Tour Dates: PlumperDump Winter Tour