Werk Out Artist Spotlight on: Yosemight
written by Elise Olmstead
We are gearing up for Werk Out next week and so excited to see three nights of The Werks, along with some of our favorite bands like Papadosio, Dopapod, Jahman Brahman, UV Hippo, and more. The annual shindig hosts art, workshops, and lots of good vibes, along with an always stellar lineup of some of the best up and coming bands in the scene. We were excited to see some new names on the bill and wanted to take a closer look at Ohio jam band Yosemight, who has been making their own moves within the music scene and is sure to werk it next week at the festival.
Did you all grow up in Ohio, and how did you come to form the band?
We all grew up in Ohio; everyone is from Cleveland besides Nick Shaver (bass), who is from Columbus. Nick and Luke Bergan (guitar) met in Columbus and started writing and playing together. After about a year the project was moved to Cleveland. We have been playing in Cleveland the past two years but recently added Tony Kazel (drums) and Albert Santilli (keys) to the official lineup. We all share the same interests and connect really well musically.
How has it been as an up and coming band in a state like Ohio, that has tons of great music going on all the time?
We started off opening for some of our favorite groups such as Marco Benevento, Melvin Seals, Dopapod and Ekoostik Hookah to get our music out there. What works great for us is that we already had a band in Columbus before playing in Cleveland with Yosemight. We built a strong fan-base there and it’s been our second home away from Cleveland. Ohio has a thriving music scene with festivals like The Werk Out, Hookaville, Dark Star Jubilee, etc. It’s been a privilege and an honor to be a part of such a great scene with so many talented bands. Now we have the love and support of our manager Michael Porter and AlchemyHouse United to help us break out of Ohio.
How would you describe your genre of music? What are some other musicians that inspire your sound?
Our genre of music is very eclectic. We pull any elements we can from all styles of music, funk, bluegrass, prog rock, jazz and reggae. It comes out sounding like a Hawaiian cowboy riding a seahorse through a swarm of well-tamed bumble bees. We’re deeply inspired by bands that are into live improvisation like Phish, Moe, Les Claypool, Marco Benevento to name a few. We like to take chances on stage and make each show different.
Where did the name “Yosemight” come from?
The name came from pronouncing Yosemite Sam as yose-might Sam. It’s top secret. That’s all we can give you.
Have you played Werk Out before, and why are you excited to play this festival?
This is our first Werk Out experience. Even if we weren’t on the bill, we would be at this festival. Yosemight has been working hard all summer writing, and playing non-stop. The Werk Out will be a great place to show everyone what we’ve been up to. With bands like The Werks and Dopapod that’s enough for me to wet myself.
What time can we catch your set?
We go on at 2:30pm on Friday, August 8th
