SCI Memories: Boulder

Hey Hey, so I am closing out this run at Boulder Theater tonight, and I wanted to dig in a bit and reflect on some of my early SCI memories from this great venue.

I think it was here, where I first played music with String Cheese. I remember seeing them at the Fox earlier that year and being impressed. In fact, I was blown away by the “kid” on acoustic guitar. Not only by his playing, but also by the tone of his instrument. I had never heard an acoustic guitar sound so present and “real.” So later that year, when my band Durt was asked to open for them at the Boulder Theater, we all loved the idea.

I had been jamming with Kang and other local musicians (including Dave Watts) for a while, so we were familiar with each other’s playing. Durt was mainly a rock outfit and I was probably only carrying my Roland D-50 keyboard at that time. The sounds in this board were, to say the least, very ‘80s. So when the SCI boys asked me to sit in that night, I was super pumped, but a bit hesitant as to how my sounds would fit their vibe. I have no idea what I played. Probably “Bigger Isn’t Better “ and “Jellyfish.” Those were the first ones I learned.  And I’m not sure how it came across, but I must have passed the audition because they asked me to hop on tour for a few more shows.

The String Cheese Incident – early press photo – outside The Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO

Since then, we have played almost every venue in the area from the Fox to Fillmore, but the Boulder Theater is one of the classic venues. And haunted or not, we always had a fun time playing here. This town has a great history of supporting live music and it seems to be a vortex for musical creativity. So many bands have gone on from here to become nationally known. There must be something in the water. And as for String Cheese, it was always nice to come back to Boulder after a long tour. It’s nice to come home.

Boulder has been my home now since 1993 and I have loved every year. It seems this area has been a hot bed for great music over the decades. String cheese is just one of the many bands that has been born from the creative forces in this area.

HOP ON TOUR: Brewing for Hop On Tour Kick-Off

Hop On Tour is an interactive fan experience. Throughout The String Cheese Incident’s Roots Run Deep tour and Kyle’s kick-off shows in Colorado, Kyle will connect with fans via his Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kylehollingsworthmusic) and blog (www.kylehollingsworth.wordpress.com) to provide a behind the scenes look into life on the road as well as the craft beers and brewing that come into picture along the way. To top it off, fans will have the opportunity to win an invite to exclusive meet & greets and tastings with Kyle and others through various contests at select SCI shows. Stay tuned to Kyle’s Facebook page for regular Hop On Tour updates...

BREW DAYS!
After a night of raging to the motet on Halloween, I woke up at 6:30am, hungover, and drove to Odell’s, in Fort Collins, to brew some beer for the Hop On Tour kick-off in November. Some good stuff going on here!

Making a vanilla porter will Odell Brewing. mmmmm.

Cleaning-up spent grain at Odell's.

Getting ready to add hops!

Turning random knobs at Dry Dock, while making Solstice Spice.

The kettle at Dry Dock Brewing Company. It's a clean machine.

Doing a little home brewing. Very tricky stuff!

Hop On Tour Kick-Off
Kyle Hollingsworth Band feat. Michael Kang
with Roster McCabe
11/18 Hodi’s Halfnote | Fort Collins, CO
11/19 Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO

Both shows will feature these two one-time-only craft brews – a vanilla porter from Odell Brewing & Kyle and Solstice Spice from Dry Dock Brewing & Kyle. Cervantes’ will also feature Hoopla Pale Ale from Boulder Beer & Kyle. In addition, all Kyle drafts (Odell, Dry Dock) will be FREE in Denver until 9pm.

Lots of Great Music and Not Much Sleep

Damn…this was a serious summer. SCI rehearsals and shows in June and July (which were sooo much fun). Then I was out with my band for a spell, traveling around the festival circuit. And, in between, I was invited to participate a few unique lineups including a super group with Bill Kreutzman, Steve Kimock and George Porter. It was a lot of great music with not much sleep, but maybe its better that way.

On the beer front, it was big year as well. Kyle’s Brew Fest sold out again and was another successful benefit for Conscious Alliance. The beer I made with Boulder Beer, Hoopla Pale Ale, has been getting a lot of great reviews from all over the country. Get it while you can! Also it was fun to add my new Brewru Experience at festivals, discussing beer and brewing with fans – trying to connect the dots between my passion for brewing and my love of music.

And now I am psyched to be home with the fam for a few weeks. While at home, I‘ve been forcing myself to dig in a bit and do some more writing. As inspiration, I have been playing through the Beatles songbook. Man, they were great songwriters. Some of those chord changes come out of nowhere and the modulations are seamless. The melody drives everything on that stuff. Listening to this music gets my mind thinking in different directions.

So this fall is mostly chill. Though I do head out for a long weekend with my band September 8-11 in the Midwest. We are going to hit some new towns as well as a couple of festivals. The Macpodz will be joining us in Cleveland and Kalamazoo. I dig their stuff and I think it will be a good musical combination. Also, we are playing one of my favorite breweries: Bell’s. Yes! Great beer, great music. Yum.

And, of course, SCI is about to rev-up again for another big run of shows in December. And this time it’s a real tour. Like “get-on-the-bus-and-roll-” style. It’s going to be awesome! Stay tuned for more on this on upcoming blogs

But for now, I’ll just enjoy the last weeks of summer. Sitting on the porch, drinking a beer and writing songs.

See you out there.

Kyle

In case you missed it, I did a “remix” of an argument we had on the road this summer. My band, KHB, had just finished a gig deep in the mountains of West Virginia. So at 4am we started driving around looking for our hotel. Tensions started running high as we came to the conclusion that we were hopelessly lost. I recorded some of our banter and then auto-tuned it and added music. Check it out (Beware it does contain some “moonshine-induced” mature language).

Brew Fest and Beyond

Festival Season is here!! And now with “the rapture” out the way, it looks like it’s going to be quite the Summer. With Cheese back at Bonnaroo and then Electric Forest, it will for sure keep me busy for the majority of the summer. Then I continue forward with lots of unique musical formations and events.

From collaborating with Steve Kimock to jamming with George Porter and Bill Kreutzman, plus doing clinics on beer and home brewing, it is going to be a diverse few months. But I’m looking forward to the challenge. Also, my band KHB will be working hard this summer. We’re heading to Electric Forest as well as local and national touring. Including my 2nd annual Kyle’s Brew Fest here in Boulder, Colorado.

In case you missed it last year, Kyle’s Brew Fest is a unique brew event, benefiting Conscious Alliance, that not only showcases great beer, but also the art of the brewing process. Ultimately it connects my passion for music and my love of brewing (I’m even considering making a beer on stage while I play). Last year’s Brew Fest sold out show was a blast and helped to raise awareness and money for conscious alliance. Boasting over 25 breweries and great tunes, please join us again this year. We will be drinking, talking and singing beer all for a great cause. Hope to see some of ya out there…

But for the next few weeks I’m being sequestered into the school of SCI rock. Back at it, we are digging in and spending time together making sure that every show we do is an unique “Incident.” From testing-out new stuff, to the ever-lasting search for the perfect cover, it’s always a challenge and a relief to be back with friends.

See you soon.

Kyle

In preparation for Brewfest I am making sure we have enough Hoopla Pale Ale ready, check out the video.

Hoppy Birthday

Ok, ok, so it’s my birthday, don’t rub it in. And now that I am more than twice Justin Bieber’s age, I am starting to feel the years. But at least we have matching haircuts. The bowl cut will never die!!!

Actually, things are going pretty great. I have been busy for the last few months writing tunes and playing music. I did some cool shows around town with my band, KHB. We opened for Umphrey’s at the Fillmore, in Denver, and that was a blast. They are such a great guys and it’s always a pleasure to hang with them. But, honestly, it was my wife’s birthday so I got a bit buzzed and ran around the Fillmore dancing and screaming. So I didn’t get to much time to hang. I think I remember having a had a good time though.

But then there’s now and I am deep in rehearsals with SCI. With only a week left before the big 1st Bank Center Cheese shows, we are getting pumped. We are digging into some of the older material that has not been played in a while, but also breaking out some new tracks. It’s going to be awesome, it’s always a bit challenging to just jump back in it and that’s why we spend so many weeks preparing. It’s not about learning the chords to “Howard” again, it’s more so about jamming together and getting the magic back. It’s never lost, but just needs to be dusted off a bit.

See you there.

And make sure to catch KHB in the Northwest next month:

04.07.11 Wild Buffalo | Bellingham, WA -w/Acorn Project
04.08.11 Nectar | Seattle, WA -w/Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
04.09.11 Bossanova Ballroom | Portland, OR -w/Acorn Project and Jesta

Hoppy Holidays: #1

So here we are at the final keyboardist. As I look at this list I see so many amazing players. And although I had to choose the ones that made an impact on my playing I have so many more that I admire. From Red Garland and Brad Mehldau to Chester Thompson and Matt Rollings, there are so many great musicians out here. And, of course, my college teacher ,Greg Hatza, had a big influence on me and helped me get started on my journey so many years ago. And I thank him for that…

#1: Herbie Hancock

So yes, every keyboard player is expected to cite Herbie as an influence. And with good reason, he is sooo the man. I first found him in college after my piano professor turned me on to Speak No Evil (a Wayne Shorter album). Of course I had heard of Herbie from the Eighties hit “Rockit,” but the earlier Miles Davis side of him was so was so soulful. Every note had so much feel and intention. And although in college I was studying all the greats, such as Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Bud Powell, etc., I kept coming back to Herbie. The live Miles Davis 1964 discs Four & More + My Funny Valentine were constantly playing in my room. It was, and remains to be, one of my favorite recordings of all time. There is great compositional improvisation on that record, so much musical intuition between the players. It wasn’t until later that I discovered the Headhunters’ records. This was another level for me as well. Not only funky playing, but also that tone coming from the Rhodes was something I had to have. Herbie’s feel is always at the center of his playing whether a piano, Rhodes or Clavinet. He was a great inspiration for me.

Hoppy Holidays
12/10 Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/The Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/11 Hodi’s Half Note | Fort Collins, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/the Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/12 Avery Brewing Co. | Boulder, CO – KHB plus signature beer by Kyle and Avery Brewing and much, much, more! – SOLD OUT!

Hoppy Holidays Countdown: #2

In anticipation of Hoppy Holidays, I will be counting down the top five keyboardists whom have had the most influence on my playing. I’ll post a different artist every few days between now and the first day of Hoppy Holidays: Friday, December 10th.

I am often asked to name the most influential keyboardists in my life. I usually just rattle off my favorites from then and now, but I wanted to really take a look at who influenced my playing. I didn’t want to select just keyboard players that I admire and study, but those that have made an impact on my performance and writing. So I scanned my iTunes library and dug up my old cassettes from the basement and this is what it came down to…

#2: Bill Payne

Growing up, I would hear music wafting down the staircase from my brother’s super cool attic bedroom. And although my family was primarily a Beatles/Simon & Garfunkel institution, he was playing some new music that peeked my interest. It had great feel and less-predictable song forms. So I started digging into Little Feat myself. I remember spending hours listening to Waiting For Columbus, especially “Dixie Chicken.” I loved the breakdown with the horn section and Bill’s solo moment there is awesome. The whole concept of laying-down time with the left hand, while freeing up the right for improvisation, was new to me. I guess I had never really heard much ragtime/New Orleans-style music before, so the concept of a “one man band” was inspirational. And Bill uses the whole piano as a canvas. From his high percussion-type splashes to super low bombs, Bill taught me that piano is a percussion instrument in every sense of the word. At times, I still struggle to get out of my three- or four-octave safe zone. It is always refreshing to watch or listen to Bill play. He is the catalyst for me to stretch out of my comfort zone, which is always good.

Hoppy Holidays
12/10 Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/The Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/11 Hodi’s Half Note | Fort Collins, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/the Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/12 Avery Brewing Co. | Boulder, CO – KHB plus signature beer by Kyle and Avery Brewing and much, much, more! – SOLD OUT!

Hoppy Holidays Countdown: #3

In anticipation of Hoppy Holidays, I will be counting down the top five keyboardists whom have had the most influence on my playing. I’ll post a different artist every few days between now and the first day of Hoppy Holidays: Friday, December 10th.

I am often asked to name the most influential keyboardists in my life. I usually just rattle off my favorites from then and now, but I wanted to really take a look at who influenced my playing. I didn’t want to select just keyboard players that I admire and study, but those that have made an impact on my performance and writing. So I scanned my iTunes library and dug up my old cassettes from the basement and this is what it came down to…

#3: Bernie Worrell via Talking Heads

Seriously, from ages 17 to 21 I went a bit psychotic over the Talking Heads. This band was my high school obsession. You know, the time in your life where you kind of find an identity based on the scene you are in and music you listen to? It was not until I saw Stop Making Sense that I really got hooked. I dug in deep. I got every recording I could find and listened until the grooves on the vinyl wore out (records were large discs that would play music, they predate the modern CD). I then followed the musical genealogy of the separate band members from The Tom Tom Club to The Modern Lovers to Bernie Worrell and Parliament. It was the sounds and the groove that Bernie brought to the Heads’ music that most likely made me like them in the first place. I was discovering funk from the back door. Maybe not the back door, but some sort of super white, geeky, artsy side entrance. Some of those songs had great moments. “Life During War Time” and its super funky Clavinet and wailing prophet tones made my head turn. What the hell was making those sounds? Parliament was a later addition for me, and although Bernie was an integral part of those tunes, I kept falling back to his work with the Heads for funky inspiration.

Hoppy Holidays
12/10 Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/The Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/11 Hodi’s Half Note | Fort Collins, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/the Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/12 Avery Brewing Co. | Boulder, CO – KHB plus signature beer by Kyle and Avery Brewing and much, much, more! – SOLD OUT!

Hoppy Holidays Countdown: #4

In anticipation of Hoppy Holidays, I will be counting down the top five keyboardists whom have had the most influence on my playing. I’ll post a different artist every few days between now and the first day of Hoppy Holidays: Friday, December 10th.

I am often asked to name the most influential keyboardists in my life. I usually just rattle off my favorites from then and now, but I wanted to really take a look at who influenced my playing. I didn’t want to select just keyboard players that I admire and study, but those that have made an impact on my performance and writing. So I scanned my iTunes library and dug up my old cassettes from the basement and this is what it came down to…

#4: Brent Mydland

I remember being freaked out about the name “Grateful Dead,” I always imagined a heavy metal band of sorts, but once I listened to what they were doing, I had more respect for the music. My brother had this great soundboard tape and the keyboards were super high in the mix, perhaps to the detriment of the blend, but it did give me a chance to check out some of his work firsthand. It was kind of like a personal keyboard lesson. And it was great to hear someone up close, acting and reacting to what was going on in the music. I remember checking out the whole “China Cat Sunflower” into “I Know You Rider”-sequence many times. There was such good listening going on from everyone on stage. The music seemed like a big conversation and Jerry’s melodies would weave through bass and keys lines so seamlessly. I’d never heard a piano player on up-tempo, almost-bluegrass-style tunes before, it was an eye-opener. It was in Brent’s playing that I understood how improvisational music could be brought into the rock realm. Basically, it was through him that I really started getting into the Jam scene.

Hoppy Holidays
12/10 Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/The Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/11 Hodi’s Half Note | Fort Collins, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/the Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/12 Avery Brewing Co. | Boulder, CO – KHB plus signature beer by Kyle and Avery Brewing and much, much, more!

Hoppy Holidays Countdown

In anticipation of Hoppy Holidays, I will be counting down the top five keyboardists whom have had the most influence on my playing. I’ll post a different artist every few days between now and the first day of Hoppy Holidays: Friday, December 10th.

I am often asked to name the most influential keyboardists in my life. I usually just rattle off my favorites from then and now, but I wanted to really take a look at who influenced my playing. I didn’t want to select just keyboard players that I admire and study, but those that have made an impact on my performance and writing. So I scanned my iTunes library and dug up my old cassettes from the basement and this is what it came down to…

#5: Stevie Wonder

Growing up, my family was the Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary-type crowd, nothing musically challenging, just good songs with lyrically provoking themes. Of course, the Beatles were right in there as well, but the R & B and Motown sound didn’t really make it through our door. It came down to me looking outside my family’s genre to find new music. By the time I was in high school, I was listening to the Talking Heads and discovering new sounds, such as African rhythms through the albums Remain In Light and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and funk from Bernie Worrell and Parliament. This road eventually wound its way through Billy Preston and The Meters into Ray Charles and landed on Stevie Wonder. It was not just Stevie’s soulful playing, but also the songwriting that hooked me in. Tunes like “You Haven’t Done Nothing” and “Higher Ground” spoke to my sense of funk, but also to my feelings on social consciousness. And I loved the quality of those recordings, so raw and so much energy. And his voice has such great versatility, I enjoyed all the nuances that decorated the ends of his phrases. Stevie was able to bridge my early pop influences with some real soul and lead me in a new direction musically and compositionally.

Hoppy Holidays
12/10 Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/The Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/11 Hodi’s Half Note | Fort Collins, CO – KHB feat. DJ Logic & Liza Oxnard w/the Nu Classics plus signature beer by Kyle and Boulder Beer
12/12 Avery Brewing Co. | Boulder, CO – KHB plus signature beer by Kyle and Avery Brewing and much, much, more!

For more information on Hoppy Holidays and to purchase tickets go to www.kylehollingsworth.com/ontour