PROOF OF EVOLUTION
The debate about evolution has been unceasing ever since Darwin offered up his little treatise. The biggest sticking point has always been empirical evidence: Can you demonstrate, with irrefutable evidence, that evolution is taking place? Natural selection demands that evolution occur in order for survival.
Well, I can!
In fact, every fan of jam and funk can — and that likely extends to other musical genres, but for the purposes of this demonstration we will stick to those two.
Just consider some of the bands you like and admire in your city, area, state, region. There are so many bands reinventing themselves, making quantum leaps, improving Band 1.0 to Band 2.0 and 3.0.
Last night, Ajeva and Voodoo Visionary played astonishing sets, almost as if they were brand-new bands.
It happened at Florida’s annual showcase Orange Blossom Jamboree, where we were treated to sets ranging from amazing to jaw-dropping in terms of progress and evolution from Wild Root, High Test, Leisure Chief, Shak Nasti, Come Back Alice, the Daniel Heitz Band, Bonnie Blue, the Melody Trucks Band, Tand, and Electric Kif.
It also occurred at Suwannee Rising Music Festival, with huge advancements demonstrated by Custard Pie, Ben Strok and Full Electric, Electric Kif, Voodoo Visionary, and The Difference.
Bells and Robes just blew out a magnificent set beyond any I had experienced before, and I didn’t imagine DYNOHUNTER could top their set at Suwannee Hulaween, but they tossed that aside with two searing hours closing out the Dunedin Brewery Spring Beer Jam.
Even the big boys are in on this evolution thing. moe.’s set at Suwannee Rising struck me in a way they had never done before, and Lettuce seemed to ascend to a new astral plane with their two sets at Suwannee Rising.
How about Star Kitchen on Jam Cruise? The band had been percolating since last fall with some fine performances, but their two sets on the boat are already the stuff of legend.
Damon Fowler, the fine guitar slinger, just rocked out by far the best set I’ve ever heard from him and his band mates.
And I will call out Joe Marcinek, the magician who annually puts together amazing combos for short runs all over the country. At Funk Fest Punta Gorda, I watched Nikki Glaspie with Marcinek play with a joy and abandon I’d never noticed before. And Marcinek evoked playing from Jim Wuest, Tony D’Amato, and Jamie Newitt of The Heavy Pets that seemed to go beyond their normal parameters at the Spring Beer Jam.
There.
I have laid out undeniable, irrefutable, empirical evidence that evolution DOES exist! [And I’ve forgotten more examples than I remembered.] These bands have used evolution and natural selection to ensure their survival and growth.
I’m positive you can do the same — wherever you go to enjoy live music.
Because live music is the key to life.