College Park, MD, based band Higher Education is bringing their psychedelic rock reggae to one of our favorite venues – The 8×10 in Baltimore, MD, for their first ever residency, each Wednesday in September.  They’ll be joined by two bands each night and will have no repeating songs, so be prepared to hear a catalog of originals and some select covers.  Higher Education has been playing together since 2010, constant honing their craft and touring on the East Coast, playing in front of greats like The Wailers, Parliament Funkadelic, and Lettuce.  They have been steadily recording and releasing new songs this summer including their most recent single “Summer of Love” (titled appropriately to commemorate the anniversary of the historic Woodstock Festival in 1969).  Expect their music to get you moving and grooving and don’t forget to show up early each night to experience the other talented bands joining them.

Higher Education. Photo by Positive Vibes Media.

 

Bands playing with Higher Education during the residency:

Week 1: September 4, 2019

Buddhagraph Spaceship

Buddhagraph Spaceship is an American rock band from Asheville, North Carolina with roots stretching from the old time to the far side and all foundations between. Creating a bridge between acoustic and electronic improvisation, they blend elements of Funk, Jam, Folk, Bluegrass, Gypsy Jazz, Americana, Progressive Rock, Reggae, and much more to achieve their eclectic sound. With a passion for creativity and the motivation to push boundaries, the band functions upon a musical paradigm for the further of artistic expression.

Buddhagraph Spaceship was created in the spring of 2014 and has since been an active influence on the East Coast music scene.

Moody Goose

Moody Goose is a jam-infused rock band out of Baltimore, Maryland. The quartet brings head-bob inducing, high energy funk, rock, jazz, and improvisation to listeners’ ears. It’s tough to put their music under one genre, as their influences stem from the likes of Little Feat, Phish, The Grateful Dead, Umphrey’s McGee, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and many others. MacRae Collie (Guitar/Vocals), JC Senatore (Keyboard/Vocals), Colin Sheehan (Bass), and Jason Heilbrunn (Drums/Vocals) grew up in Baltimore and have been playing music together for years, but didn’t form Moody Goose until 2016 after graduating college. Since then, they’ve played local gigs in the greater Baltimore area to continue growing their following.

 

Week 2:  September 11, 2019

Root Shock

Conscious, soulful, uplifting, even healing—that’s how many fans of Root Shock have described the band’s infectious sound and energy. With a reputation like that, it’s unsurprising that this group is indebted to reggae, a class of music forever married to love, humanity, social change, and an almost tangible sense of sunlight. But Root Shock didn’t form on a beach. Instead, they came up in snowy Syracuse, New York in 2012, and since then, they’ve developed a voice that transcends genre.

Spearheaded by the acrobatic, powerhouse vocals of Jessica Brown, the Root Shock sound is at once commanding and cathartic, but never at the expense of a velvety, carefully placed jazz or neo-soul lick. When he isn’t complementing Brown’s pipes with his own earthy vocal turns, Phil Grajko gets weird on the guitar, seamlessly moving from chop chords to girthy riffs and spellbinding solos colored by Latin, prog, and psychedelic rock textures—often in tandem with mad keyboard genius Brian Lauri. Rounding out the band, bassist Bill Eppel and drummer Tyre Outerbridge make for a formidable rhythm section fluent in patterns ranging from dancehall to ska to heavy dub style and funk.

In 2016, Root Shock released a self-titled album, produced by their trusted engineer and part-time auxiliary percussionist, Jason “Jocko” Randall, and followed that up with the “Many Paths” EP in 2018. Both records are proof of the band’s democratic songwriting process, with thoughtful lyrics from Brown and Grajko that invoke hope in dark times, warn against injustice, and imagine a future in which all are free and equal and united by music.

Today, Root Shock is bringing their renowned live show to clubs, festivals, and concert halls across the Northeast and beyond, delighting audiences from all walks of life with a positive message and danceable tunes.

Haewa

Upon the creation of in 2011, Haewa established its foundation by captivating their audiences with fearless improvisation and a heavy blanket of sound. Over the years Haewa has built upon these roots to create a brilliantly unique sound that offers a sonic balance between utter chaos and pure bliss. Combining the spirit of rock-n-roll with trance-like electronic influence, Collin Jones (Guitar/Vocals), Ben Chilbert (Bass), Marco Cirigliano (Drums) and Troy Evans (Keys/Synth/Electronics) drive their audience down the road less taken, into a familiar but enlightening unknown that is Haewa.

 

Week 3: September 18, 2019

Flux Capacitor

Born and raised (literally) as a power trio, the Specht brothers’ intuitive dynamics are the engine of Flux Capacitor’s progressive, psychedelic rock sound. Steady regional touring, emanating from their Reading, PA home base earned the band broader recognition, ultimately landing them on festivals like Bonnaroo, Peach Fest, Wormtown Music Festival, Domefest and Werk-Out West. Flux Capacitor’s melding of varied rock idioms with elements of electronica- in the context of fluid improvisation- and an ear for melody and song structure made them a perfect fit for support gigs with artists like Papadosio, Lotus, Dopapod, Twiddle and others who share a musical and cultural aesthetic with Flux Capacitor and their steadily growing fan base. With three full length albums, a live album and three singles under their belt, Flux just released their fourth studio album “Set To Gravitate” in December 2018.

Sono Lumini

Sono Lumini is an instrumental progressive funk, rock, and jam trio founded in Winchester, VA and based in Athens, GA. Started in 2014 By Dustin Goddard, Julian Goddard, and Phill Gayle; Sono Lumini is a constantly evolving entity that works to push boundaries while maintaining relatability. They bring to the stage solid grooves, catchy melodies, and compelling improvisation with a marriage of organic instrumentation and thick electronic textures. FFO Tauk, Papadosio, Dopapod, etc.

Week 4: September 25, 2019

Space Kadet

Navigating the space ship is Alex Etheridge on bass, synth and production, Rohan Prakash on drums and samples and Thomas Garrett on guitar. Mixing elements of electronic, dance and traditional music genres such as drum and bass, house, break beats, electro funk, dub, trip hop, lofi hip hop and more- whatever it is, Space Kadet will make you dance and leave you in a trance. With Prakash and Etheridge’s history of producing music together as well as the virtuosity of Garrett’s guitar abilities proves that the versatility and cohesiveness of this 3 piece band surpasses many others. The band combines live improv, technical chops and atmospheric sounds with live electronic production and soaring guitar melodies. This electronic trio has been making waves through out the south east and beyond over the past 5 years. Originating in Auburn, AL, the band now resides in their home city of Atlanta, GA. Space Kadet has had the honor of sharing the stage with fellow friends/road warriors The Floozies, Manic Focus, Sunsquabi, Russ Liquid Test, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Werks, Flamingosis and many more. 2019 marks a notable year for the trio as they released their debut album “Simulated Reality”. Guest features on the album include Jeffree Lerner of STS9 on percussion and local Atlanta legends, The Terminus Horns. Space Kadet came together to form an always changing, never ending, groovy space odyssey.

Jouwala Collective

United in the heart of Richmond, Virginia in 2015, Jouwala Collective blends Gnawa music, traditional African and spiritual songs characterized by trance inducing chants and rhythms, with modern influences of funk, jam, jazz, rock, soul, reggae, blues, chaabi and electronic. Erie synth notes create a soft background over which are laid tribal tones of instruments from a world away resulting in an atmosphere of spiritual healing. Incredibly fast, dynamic drum rhythms keep your feet moving while the overall sound holds you in a dreamlike trance. Electric guitars and rock themes interweave so that the mood, and the room, can be transformed immediately and without warning. Set to release their debut album in early 2016, Jouwala Collective is a unique musical force soon to be reckoned with.

For tickets to each show visit The 8×10 website.