3/4/15 Lotus @ The Canopy Club - Urbana, IL

Last Wednesday I worked 7 until 4:30 at IFSI then made the solo trek to Urbana.  I always think of the first time I visited that venue 1/31/00 moe. with Barry and Andy.  We went to a show on school night on a college campus.  15 years later not much has changed.  I'm still going to shows on worknights and still visiting my favorite college music venues.  The Canopy Club is one of my favorite club size venues and I've been to a few.  Jay/Ian do a great job getting the talent and keeping the vibe right.  I'm contemplating breaking my 11 years of consecutive Summer Camp appearances this Memorial Day Weekend.  It feels like it's time.  However, I want to mention how much I appreciate the Goldberg family bringing so much music to Central Illinois over the years.  Before the show I grabbed an excellent slice of Manolo's BBQ pizza.  It's understandable that Cosby Sweater changed their name to Turbo Suit with the recent allegations.  They did a decent cover of a New Deal song from Gone Gone Gone.  Overall their set was once again too loud regardless of what moniker they're using. 


I've listened to most of the Lotus Winter Tour so I knew we were in store for a treat.  These guys are really elevating their game right now.  I liked the roller coaster artwork on the drum set.  The talk box on Bellwether got the show off to a funky start.  Opo kept the energy going.  Livingston Storm is one of my favs.  This was a major highlight.  I loved the dark and dirty sound post-rock sound.  They explored more than I've ever seen them do.  Molluskunk was next.  Neon Tubes was a dance party with the Daft Punk cover Around the World sandwiched in the middle.  Hammerstrike was a hard rocking end to a fun set of Lotus.  I hung with Doc and his friend behind the table on the second level of the floor which is the best vantage point and sound.  We appeared to be the only people above age 30 in the place besides the band members.  I felt like Wooderson. 


Ashcon with its "groove your body" sample is a familiar one.  Travel has been a favorite of mine so that made me the show.   This also reached some dark terrain.  The Legend of Zelda theme brought back a lot of memories from that gold NES cartridge from my youth.  They jammed it out before dropping into a huge Flower Sermon which likely was the best improvisation of the show.   Tarot was a brief lull in the action before an unbelievably smooth segue from Plant Your Root > Sunrain.  This was extremely patient playing.  This show was the best Lotus I've seen dating back to my first show at Bent River in Moline 2006.  On Facebook they asked what we wanted to hear and I suggested Strawberry Letter 23 from the Jackie Brown soundtrack and this started the encore.  At this point I hit the road as they finished the show with Disappear into a Blood Red Sky.  There was a full moon which illuminated the icy snow that covered the Illinois fields.  I didn't get any sleep before heading back to work for another 7 to 4:30.  At the end of the day it was worth it.  When you go the extra mile that's usually when you get rewarded.  This was certainly the case with Lotus at The Canopy Club this time around.