Madison Music Review

featuring 30db, Cornmeal, Family Groove Company and Steez

30db is a new supergroup featuring Jeff Austin (YMSB), Brendan Bayliss (Umphrey's McGee), and Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi AllStars).

The 10th Annual Summer Camp festival takes place this year in Chillicothe, IL on May 28 - 30. All bands tonight are playing Summer Camp.

Cornmeal

Formed over 10 years ago, Cornmeal has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally recognized live music institution. 10 years together is no simple task these days, especially when the last five have seen the band spending over half the year on the road. Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal blends lightning fast tempos and impeccable harmonies into an unrivaled live performance that continues to expand upon the five-piece acoustic-electric groups’ vast musical repertoire. While steeped in the tradition of the past, Cornmeal continues to forge their own path, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers. With a rapidly growing fan base and ever-evolving sound, Cornmeal challenges the recipe of the bluegrass sound and live performance.

30db
Hailing from Chicago, longtime friends, musical collaborators, and all-around conspirators Jeff Austin (of Yonder Mountain String Band) and Brendan Bayliss (of Umphrey's McGee) have been writing music and playing together for years. In between their busy tour schedules with Yonder and Umphrey's, the two musicians had always wanted to start a band. They wrote some songs, played some shows (both on Jeff's turf in Colorado and back home in Chicago) and so 30db was born.

After accruing a mass quantity of music, they decided it was about time to make a record. They recruited an amazing crew of musicians to join them in Boulder for some recording sessions, and that's when 30db really took its shape and became a band. Holding down the sound on drums, percussion, and keyboards is the Memphis-based North Mississippi Allstars drummer and co-founder, Cody Dickinson. E-Town host and legendary guitar player from Hot Rize, Nick Forster, plays electric guitar; and Boulder-based player/producer Eric Thorin keeps it tight on the bass. The final product is a collection of heartfelt tunes, filled with fun yet ironic lyric undertones and solid playing from start to finish. 30db's One Man Show is finally here, turn it up.

Family Groove Company

FGC is a four piece band from Chicago and integrates the groove sensibility developed by funk/jazz crossover artists like Herbie Hancock and Medeski, Martin, and Wood, with thoughtful, tight song writing that takes cues from the likes of Steely Dan and the Beatles. The result? An infectious, fresh sound the band calls "groove informed jazz/rock."

Steez

Categorization be damned, the Madison-based five piece, Steez, consisting of Matt Williams (keyboards/synthesizers/accordion), Steve Neary (guitar and vocals), Rob Bessert (drums), Chris Sell (bass), and Andrzej Benkowski (saxophone, oboe, and violin) is -- in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions -- a funk band, a jamband, a fusion band, a disco-fanged multi-beast, and a basket case. Churning out their self-described Creepfunk, a high energy, danceable variety of funk -- one uniquely laced with electronic and improvisational sensibilities – Steez has garnered a loyal following throughout the Midwest, winning contests to perform at both the 2008 Summer Camp and Rothbury Festival and performing to capacity crowds at rapidly growing venues.

Don't miss the energy and excitement at the show this Friday!